At a time when abuse at the hands of law enforcement is worryingly prevalent in the national discussion comes Kyle Patrick Alvarez's unnerving The Stanford Prison Experiment, a film that brings to unsettling focus the corrupting nature of absolute power. Based obviously on the titular 1971 experiment that turned Stanford University's basement into a makeshift prison, complete young students posing as inmates and prison guards, Alvarez's film captures with stunning vision how such a dangerous study so quickly turned into a nightmare of epic proportions.
It was the goal of psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) to study the psychological effects of incarceration, not just on prisoners but on those in charge of overseeing them. How does the gift of absolute authority, and the hopelessness of absolute subjugation, effect one's core behavior? Twenty-four male students, all in desperate need of the meager $15/day salary they would get, were selected to be either guards or inmate for a period of two weeks. For that time, these young men weren't allowed to even consider this an experiment; they were in a prison, and had to perform accordingly. The first sign of trouble is when one inmate (Ezra Miller) is literally arrested in front of his home and driven to the "prison", treated like a common criminal. Already it's going a step too far.
But that's just the beginning as it doesn't take long before things start to take a torturous turn. The guards (played by Michael Angarano, James Frecheville, Moises Arias, and others) begin to enjoy their work a little too much, aggressively pushing around and abusing the inmates both physically and mentally. Naturally the inmates' reaction is to protest, leading to worse punishments, creating a nasty circle of oppression and rebellion. The guards take away their beds, strip away their clothes, dump them in solitary confinement. Angarano, playing a character nicknamed "John Wayne" for his redneck cowboy demeanor, is frightening as a guard who relishes his powers more than the rest. When others see how much fun he's having, it isn't long before the other authority figures begin asserting their powers in increasingly harmful ways.
Starring many of Hollywood's brightest young actors including Tye Sheridan, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Mann, Nelsan Ellis, Johnny Simmons, and many more, there are no shortage of intricate performances to go around. While the experiment quickly went to extremes, highlighted by the title cards revealing the length of time passed, the transformation in the subjects is subtle as the true nature of every man involved is laid forth for everyone to see. Alvarez, along with writer Tim Talbott, only give us the barest sense of who these men were before the experiment, and certainly it isn't concerned with who they are outside of those prison walls. Then again, that's exactly how Zimbardo, who actually consulted on the film, designed the experiment to be. It wasn't about backgrounds, but about how these particular people were changed by this singular experience. 
Alvarez's recreation of the experiment is simple yet incredibly accurate, from the bland walls to the cramped hallways; the sense of claustrophobia is inescapable. The only thing more palpable is the uneasiness the audience will feel in watching such depths of human depravity unfold. This movie won't be for everyone, and probably if watching the equally-disturbing Compliance was too much for you then so will this. It's unclear if Alvarez was aiming for it to be an Abu Ghraib metaphor, but it's impossible not to think of that shameful scandal while watching these prisoners be humiliated repeatedly. Perhaps even more sickening is the passive acceptance of the brutality from the inmates, from Zimbardo, and from the guards. In the latter case it's a little too reminiscent of the "good" cops who stand by and cover for their violent, abusive peers. Parallels to the unfortunate issues we face today are everywhere. It says something that when we catch up with these people months later, the explanations they give for their actions are just as captivating. A visceral experience that will be hard to match, this is one experiment that is an indisputable success.
Rating: 4 out of 5
