What Does ‘NF’ Mean in ‘Black Mirror’ Episode “Demon 79”?

The latest season of Black Mirror features a supernatural, experimental masterpiece about a sales assistant who is convinced by a disco demon to go on a murderous rampage. The episode – called “Demon 79” – has a gritty, low-budget vibe and tackles themes of racism and corrupt politicians. With these many factors on the table, viewers are sure to be left with a few questions. 

Starring Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu, the story takes place in 1979 and centers on young sales assistant Nide (Vasan) who faces racism from her colleagues and boss, and others in the town influenced by a far-right political party. After being cornered by a demon, Gapp (Essiedu), Nide is told that she must murder three people to avoid a nuclear apocalypse.

The sixth season of the popular anthology series premiered June 15, 2023 on Netflix with all five new episodes written by showrunner Charlie Brooker. “Demon 79” was among the new selection along with the star-studded take on artificial intelligence “Joan Is Awful” and the twisty horror thriller “Loch Henry”.

While ranking all the new episodes, “Demon 79” came in in the 4th slot, where it was praised for its out-of-the-box execution, but criticized for feeling like “something lifted straight from Ryan Murphy’s catalog.” However, there was a portion of the episode that left many eagle-eyed viewers confused.

During one scene, Nide arrives home and sees “NF” on her door in white spray paint. She stares at it with a hurt look in her eyes. This has left many people wondering what “NF” means and if it plays a larger role in the rest of the episode – or in the series at large. Continue reading for everything you need to know about the symbol. 

What Does “NF” Mean in Black Mirror?

Within the first ten minutes of “Demon 79,” Nida exits her house for work and is saddened to see the letters “NF” spray-painted on her front door. She stares at the graffiti for a moment before proceeding with the rest of her day. The letters remain on her door throughout the episode as towards the end, she opens the door to a visitor and tells them, “I’m going to paint over it.” But what does the symbol mean?

“NF” is a reference to the far-right, fascist political group National Front, which has operated in the United Kingdom since 1967. The political party has been on the decline since the 1980s, however it is currently being led by Tony Martin. The party has never had representatives elected to the Parliament.

As the episode progresses, Nida continues to face racism from her colleagues and others. Before the graffiti appears on her door, she witnesses a conservative political rally occur outside her work. Then, while entering her apartment, she is stared down by two lingering men, which insinuates that they were the ones who did the graffiti.

As popularized by the right-wing political movement, the symbol appears on Nida’s door with the two letters connecting. The “N” and the “F” share a mutual stem that completes both of the letters. According to Workers Liberty, the National Front holds beliefs that are rooted in anti-immigrant racism, along with other forms of nationalism.

The symbol was featured in the episode to further emphasize the political climate that Nida deals with in her everyday life, which also gives way to her decision in the final moments of the episode. But beyond that, the symbol doesn’t seem to be giving way to any Easter eggs or secrets that will pop up later in the series.

Black Mirror Season 6 is currently streaming on Netflix.