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EXPERIMENT, THE (9/21/10; Thriller) Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr., Cam Gigandet, Fisher Stevens, Travis Fimmel, Ethan Cohn SCR: Mario Giordano, Paul Scheuring DIR: Paul Scheuring MPAA: R for strong disturbing violence including a rape, language, some sexual content and nudity. 1 hour 36 mins |
The Experiment is based on the Stanford prison experiment, the true story of a group of scientists who organized twenty people to carry out a psychological experiment: chosen individuals are made to role play as prison guards and prisoners to see how they behave in these positions.
The opening sequence (with animals attacking each other and horrible human conflicts) tells us everything we need to know: every creature has the potential to be awful to another.
And that’s exactly what happens in this disturbing thriller that’s a remake of the 2001 German film Das Experiment, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. Predictably, power corrupts a few bad guards and the situation turns ugly fast. It’s a tense, harrowing drama with strong performances from two recent Oscar winners (Brody and Whitaker) tension throughout.
The Experiment was dumped onto video and, like so many other quality movies for grown-ups, deserved better. This is one messed up flick, and that’s a compliment. (Stage 6)
— DENNIS WILLIS
