'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Star Will Poulter Leaves Social Media for 'Mental Health'

“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” star Will Poulter announced Wednesday he’s taking a “step back, of sorts, from Twitter,” in the interest of his mental health.

Poulter — who co-stars as Colin Ritman in Netflix’s interactive film about ’80s video game programmer Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) and his attempts to develop the fantasy novel “Bandersnatch” into a video game — received criticism about his physical appearance via social media, after the “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style installment of the Charlie Brooker-created anthology series launched last Friday.

With love… pic.twitter.com/JSm7oNLTsV

— Will Poulter (@PoulterWill) January 2, 2019

“In light of my recent experiences I am choosing to take a step back, of sorts, from Twitter,” Poulter said in a statement tweeted yesterday. “Before I do, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to everybody who has watched ‘Bandersnatch’ and for their responses (whatever they may be) to the material we created. I accept all criticisms and it’s been a delight to learn that so many of you enjoyed what many people worked very hard to produce!”

Also Read: 'Bandersnatch': Netflix Lets You 'Choose Your Own Path' Between 2 Behind-the-Scenes Videos

“As we all know there is a balance to be struck in our engagements with social media,” he continued. “There are positives to enjoy and inevitable negatives that are best avoided. It’s a balance I have struggled with for a while now and in the interest of my mental health I feel the time has come to change my relationship with social media.”

Here are some of the tweets criticizing Poulter as “ugly” — along with some of the tweets criticizing the “ugly” comments about Poulter’s appearance:

WILL POULTER IS NEVER UGLY AT THE FIRST PLACE ITS JUST YALL CANT APPRECIATE AN UNCONVENTIONAL BEAUTY LIKE HIM !!!

— iya (@mahfrens) December 30, 2018

Will Poulter is SO UGLY n doesn't deserve to be the white boy of the month.. AT ALL

— ✧ jul$ ✦ (@ginsengfuck) December 31, 2018

????Stan Twitter
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| _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
????admiting Will Poulter is | unproblematic, supports blm, |
anti bullying campaigns & |
lgbtqi+ and is underrated |
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ |
|
|
|
????his ugly eyebrows

— ana (@anappra) December 31, 2018

everyone’s allowed only one (1) skinny white ugly boy to have a crush on & i can’t believe some of y’all are wasting it on will poulter

— levi ???? (@fturafree) December 30, 2018

these tweets have a thousand replies calling will poulter ugly and like……..why? what do you gain from making fun of someone's appearance? WHAT DO YOU GAIN https://t.co/gKzTGqIWQr

— just say they (@indiosyncratic) December 30, 2018

Also Read: 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Has 5 Main Endings - Here's What They Are

Poulter noted he would still be “posting occasionally” with organizations he works with, adding: “I hope that this shift to reduce my personal expression and increase the focus on issues that matter will result in a better outcome for everyone. This is not the end. Consider it an alternative path.”

Netflix did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on Poulter’s decision to leave social media.

Read Poulter’s statement in full below.

Also Read: 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Has a Secret Ending With a Crazy Easter Egg

In light of my recent experiences I am choosing to take a step back, of sorts, from Twitter.

Before I do, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to everybody who has watched ‘Bandersnatch’ and for their responses (whatever they may be) to the material we created. I accept all criticisms and it’s been a delight to learn that so many of you enjoyed what many people worked very hard to produce!

As we all know there is a balance to be struck in our engagements with social media. There are positives to enjoy and inevitable negatives that are best avoided. It’s a balance I have struggled with for a while now and in the interest of my mental health I feel the time has come to change my relationship with social media.

I don’t want to appear unappreciative of all the amazing support I have received online for which I am genuinely so grateful, nor do I want my disengagement with social media to be at the expense of any of the organisations [sic] I am lucky to work with. So I will still be posting occasionally for and with @AntiBullyingPro @leap_cc @MayMeasure and @bptcompany among others.

I am privileged to have this platform. I hope that this shift to reduce my personal expression and increase the focus on issues that matter will result in a better outcome for everyone. This is not the end. Consider it an alternative path.

With love, Will

'Striking Vipers' to 'San Junipero': Every 'Black Mirror' Episode Ranked, From Good to Mind-Blowing (Photos)

With the arrival of "Striking Vipers," "Smithereens" and “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” it's time to re-rank every episode of "Black Mirror," going back to the first episode, "National Anthem." There are no bad "Black Mirror" episodes, so we ranked them from good to mind-blowing.
Netflix
23. Season 2, Episode 3: "The Waldo Moment"

Many have made the now-trite observation that this episode, about a cartoon bear who insults his way into higher office, predicted the rise of Donald Trump. OK. This episode does a good job of again showing that we bend too easily before the loud and obnoxious. But "Black Mirror" usually has more novel things to say.

Netflix
22. Season 3, Episode 6: "Hated in the Nation"

It's disappointing that "Black Mirror" Season 3 -- one of the best TV seasons ever -- ended with a story that feels a little like "Sharknado." Great acting, though, and it can be taken as a friendly reminder not to cancel people over tweets.
Netflix
21. Season 5, Episode 2: "Smithereens"

Topher Grace's lovely performance as a tech guru who hates beeps, bloops and push notifications as much as you do saves this from being a pretty run-of-the-mill hostage drama. But it is a "Black Mirror" episode that could happen right now, in the present day, and we always like when the show pulls that off.
20. Season 2, Episode 2: "White Bear"

Sure, this one's scary, but it's just scary. There's some "Purge"-quality social commentary here, and that's nice. But "Black Mirror" is usually smarter. ("Black Mirror" creator Charlie Brooker seems pleased with this episode, though: "Bandersnatch" calls back to it aggressively.)
Netflix
19. Season 3, Episode 2: "Playtest"

This episode relies too much on typical scares to be among our favorites. The sudden turn into real-life horror is more affecting than the haunted house scenes.
18. Season 5, Episode 3: “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too”

This feels like the umpteenth episode of "Black Mirror" in which someone's digital soul becomes trapped outside his or her body. This time the victim is pop star Ashley (Miley Cyrus! We like her), who ends up inside a robot toy owned by one of her adoring fans. A caper to reunite mind and body ensues, making this one of the funniest episodes of "Black Mirror." It feels deliberately light, and it's charming, but nothing about it will haunt you except Ashley's cheery take on a Nine Inch Nails classic.
17. Season 2, Episode 1: "Be Right Back"

We recommend this episode, and all the ones that follow, with zero reservations. Starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson, "Be Right Back" is another look at the qualities that make us us.
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16. Season 4, Episode 2: "Arkangel"

This episode has the best setup of any "Black Mirror," and seems poised to launch a savage critique of over-parenting. But it doesn't escalate as much as we expected it to, and can't quite live up to its brilliant concept.
15. Season 1, Episode 2: "Fifteen Million Merits"

This twist on "American Idol"-style mobs is gorgeously acted by Jessica Brown Findlay and a pre-"Get Out" Daniel Kaluuya, and their chemistry helps sell familiar lessons about literal cycles of exploitation. We think about this episode every time we ride an exercise bike, which probably isn't often enough.

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14. Season 1, Episode 1: "National Anthem"

This mean little story feels all the meaner because it's so easy to imagine it happening in real life. It's a perfect first episode, because there's no better test of whether "Black Mirror" is for you.
Netflix
13. Season 4, Episode 6: "Black Museum"

“Black Museum” references every past episode in the anthology, but the ruthlessness with which it merges three vignettes into one nasty story. Letitia Wright and Douglas Hodge counter the ugliness with some beautiful acting.
12. Season 4, Episode 5: Metalhead

Hey, Alexa: Is this episode just a stripped-down survival story? Or a grim warning that our reliance on Amazon is a slippery slope into Terminator dogs chasing us down across a hellscape Earth? Just asking.
11. Season 4, Episode 3: "Crocodile"

If Alfred Hitchcock had done a "Black Mirror" episode, it would go pretty much like this. A frosty blonde antihero (Andrea Riseborough) tries to outsmart a relentless insurance adjuster. A rodent gets involved.
10. Season 2, Episode 4: "White Christmas"

If you're dreaming of a black Christmas, this showcase for madman Jon Hamm combines two imaginary technologies -- one of which allows you to "block" people in real life -- to tell one of grayest stories ever told. Sentiment-free, it's the most "Black Mirror" episode of "Black Mirror."
Netflix
9. Season 4, Episode 4: "Hang the DJ"

Boy and girl meet cute in The System, which is designed to find “true matches.” If you and your better half are fighting over complicated wedding plans and too-high expectations, stop and watch this episode and remember you don't owe anything to anyone but each other.

"Hang the DJ" is probably the sweetest episode of "Black Mirror," and is therefore not our favorite.
8. Season 3, Episode 3: "Shut Up and Dance"

No episode of "Black Mirror" will leave you feeling worse about humanity than this one. The ultimate prank is on you. Oh, also? It could happen. Similar things have already happened.
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7. Season 4, Episode 1: USS Callister

This one makes the Top 5 on sweep and ambition alone. And it's one of many episodes that remind us to never let anyone make a digital copy of your soul. Stars Jesse Plemons and ‎Cristin Milioti should be in everything.
6. Standalone movie: "Bandersnatch"

By far the most ambitious "Black Mirror," "Bandersnatch" does something never before attempted in serious drama, using the "Choose Your Own Adventure" format to ask provocative questions about free will and power. Part film, part video game, it's incredibly impressive, and builds a complicated, stunning alternate-reality 1984 that we're still navigating. The one flaw is that the lack of a consistent narrative makes it hard to completely engage with the characters.
Netflix
5. Season 3, Episode 1: "Nosedive"

This is the episode that probably hits closest to home: We think about it every time we get in a Lyft or consider writing a negative Yelp review. The Bryce Dallas Howard story is a perfect sendup of our obsession with social-media approval. As soon as it ended we tweeted how much we loved it, then waited to see if anyone would retweet us, and... why didn't they? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with us?
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4. Season 5, Episode 1: "Striking Vipers"

One of the best written and acted episodes, with an especially good turn by Nicole Beharie as a woman trying to figure out what's wrong in her marriage. What's wrong is very hard to explain, but it revolves around a video game obsession shared by her husband (Anthony Mackie) and his former roommate (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). This is one of the scariest episodes of "Black Mirror," because the fear of a relationship disintegrating is so well-grounded. But there's also a beautiful resolution.
3. Episode 3, Season 5: "Men Against Fire"

We don't say this lightly: This episodes stands alongside "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Full Metal Jacket" as one of the best stories about how war really works. (Even though the speech about how most soldiers don't fire their weapons might be totally wrong.)
Netflix
2. Season 3, Episode 4: "San Junipero"

No other story better captures the 1980s' pulsing mix of hope, heartache, cruelty and perfect pop music. It's another episode that could have been a Best Picture, and it may be the best single episode of television at capturing raw emotion. (It also feels joyously defiant that this story of colorblind LGBT love was filmed in South Africa, a former bastion of government-mandated bigotry.)

Netflix
1. Season 1, Episode 3: "The Entire History of You"

If you've ever been in a relationship with anyone who's been in another relationship, this one will crush you. Should life be lived, or remembered? And can you separate the living from the remembering? We think of this episode every time our memories fail us -- or serve us much too well.
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There are no bad episodes of “Black Mirror,” but only one of the new episodes is among the best

With the arrival of "Striking Vipers," "Smithereens" and “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too,” it's time to re-rank every episode of "Black Mirror," going back to the first episode, "National Anthem." There are no bad "Black Mirror" episodes, so we ranked them from good to mind-blowing.

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'Striking Vipers' to 'San Junipero': Every 'Black Mirror' Episode Ranked, From Good to Mind-Blowing (Photos)

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