Trailers
Description
20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.
Starring
Awards
Key opinion
Das Experiment is widely recognized as a visceral and disturbing exploration of human behavior and authority that leaves a profound emotional impact on viewers. While many praise its intense, high-stakes portrayal of psychological collapse, others criticize its departures from factual historical accuracy and its reliance on extreme, hyperbolic violence.
| Acting | Moritz Bleibtreu’s commanding performance anchors the film’s descent into terror. | |
| Direction | Oliver Hirschbiegel’s sharp direction creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that effectively conveys the psychological breakdown of the subjects. | |
| Emotion | The film succeeds as a gripping, thought-provoking tragedy that forces the audience to confront the fragility of human morality under the influence of absolute power. | |
| Adaptation | The narrative prioritizes cinematic sensationalism and vulgarity over the nuanced, remorseful insights found in the actual Stanford prison study. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions are divided on the screenplay's realism; supporters view it as a bleak, essential study of human nature, while critics argue it manipulates the audience through one-dimensional characters and forced, unrealistic depictions of cruelty. | |
| Ending | The ending creates debate; some find it a necessary, logical conclusion to the tension, while others feel the resolution is rushed and fails to provide adequate closure. |