The Stanford Prison Experiment
Directed by Kyle Patrick AlvarezIn 1971, Stanford's Professor Philip Zimbardo conducts a controversial psychology experiment in which college students pretend to be either prisoners or guards, but the proceedings soon get out of hand. Based on a true story.
The Stanford Prison Experiment Ratings & Reviews
- Nader Ahmed2 February 2026Strange how humans can live the act.
- Manuel Frangis15 April 2025I just watched The Stanford Prison Experiment, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. This movie hit hard. It is disturbing, intense, and honestly kind of exhausting to sit through — but that is what makes it so powerful. It is based on something that really happened, and the way it plays out feels almost too real. This is not entertainment in the traditional sense. It is something you watch and then sit with afterward. It gets in your head and makes you think about authority, power, and how quickly things can fall apart. The movie is based on the real 1971 psychology experiment conducted at Stanford University by Dr. Philip Zimbardo. A group of male college students volunteered to take part in a study where half of them would be guards and the other half would be prisoners in a mock prison environment. The experiment was supposed to last two weeks. It was shut down in just six days. What happened during those six days is the focus of this movie — and it is chilling. The performances are incredible. Ezra Miller stands out with a raw and emotional performance that shows the toll the experience takes on someone being treated like a prisoner. You can see the shift in him as things start to unravel. Michael Angarano plays one of the guards, and he is terrifying in a way that feels way too believable. His character goes from curious to power-hungry so fast, and you can see how easy it is for someone to fall into that kind of role. Everyone in the cast brings something real, and that is what makes it so hard to watch at times. It does not feel like acting. It feels like you are watching a real situation spiral. Billy Crudup plays Dr. Zimbardo, and he brings this quiet unease to the role. He is supposed to be the one in control, but even he starts to get too deep into the experiment. The way the movie shows how he loses sight of what is ethical is honestly one of the most unsettling parts. It raises a lot of questions about responsibility and how far people are willing to go when no one is stopping them. The pacing is tight and focused. Most of the movie takes place in a few rooms and hallways, but it never feels slow. The tension builds fast, and you can feel it in every scene. The lighting is harsh and the camera work is up close and uncomfortable — and that works. It is supposed to feel claustrophobic. You are supposed to feel stuck in there with them. And you do. I give The Stanford Prison Experiment 5 out of 5 stars because it is brutally effective. It does not try to dramatize or soften the truth. It just shows it for what it was — a powerful and dangerous study that revealed how fast people can lose themselves when given power and no accountability. Overall The Stanford Prison Experiment is a dark and deeply unsettling film that stays with you long after it ends. It is not an easy watch, but it is an important one. It made me think about how fragile morality can be and how quickly things can break when the rules are taken away.
- Razorbitz29 November 2025A very good psychological film that dramatizes the events effectively. You know its bad when Ezra Miller is the sane one!
- Kelly Marlett19 June 2025This Film. Effective in my desire for prison abolition, but only because the law is more in favor to incarcerating Blacks than Whites. And still Phill Zimbardo’s brain child is adorned along with him. The experience of working for companies in America make the study feel all too familiar in those context as I can now recall my I-9 contractual employments. Power and Abuse have an Ivy League blueprint now. Science backs that blueprint up to be effective in a society that cherishes it. How will this knowledge continue to be used is the concern.
- Michele Luna22 February 2025I enjoyed the movie. Although , I watched it on Plex and the movie was cut off right near the end 😔
The Stanford Prison Experiment Trivia
The Stanford Prison Experiment was released on 17 July 2015.
The Stanford Prison Experiment was directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez.
The Stanford Prison Experiment has a runtime of 2h 1m.
The Stanford Prison Experiment was produced by Karen Lauder, Greg Little, Brent Emery, Lizzie Friedman, Lauren Bratman.
In 1971, Stanford's Professor Philip Zimbardo conducts a controversial psychology experiment in which college students pretend to be either prisoners or guards, but the proceedings soon get out of hand. Based on a true story.
The key characters in The Stanford Prison Experiment are Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup), Christopher Archer (Michael Angarano), Daniel Culp / Prisoner 8612 (Ezra Miller).
The Stanford Prison Experiment is rated 15.
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a Thriller, Drama, Biography film.
The Stanford Prison Experiment has an audience rating of 7.5 out of 10.
The Stanford Prison Experiment has made US$644K at the box office.