Watch The Experiment

"The Experiment" is an action packed thriller film based on a book that recounted the real life occurrences at Stanford. In the Stanford Prison Experiment, men were selected as volunteers for an actual experiment to act out prison life. In the film, 26 men are chosen to partake in the experiment, half of them selected as prisoners and the other half selected to play the role of prison guards. The film follows the steady and sudden development of prison mentality where both sides begin to take their roles too seriously even after just a few days. The actual experiment entailed role playing in which innocent men were cast in the role of prisoners locked behind bars. This role playing soon overtakes reality as those treated as prisoners take on the victim mentality surprisingly fast. Those chosen to play the role of the guards, on the other hand, elevated their mindset above those in captivity and proceed to treat the voluntary prisoners much like animals. The film puts the audience in the shoes of both the captive and the captors, allowing to see how both sides adopted their mindsets even in the event of a role playing situation. As prisoners grow antsy and the prison guards more fierce, tension builds to the point that the lines between reality and experimentation begin to blur enough that both sides are willing to become violent. Even though the Stanford Prison experiment was nothing more than role-playing, these volunteers, only after a few days, are sure to never be able to live life the same again.