The Experiment

Year: 2001

Actors: Moritz Bleibtreu, Justus von Dohnányi, Fatih Akin

Duration: 120 min

In need of extra cash, the part-time taxi driver, Tarek Fahd, volunteers to take part in a controversial social experiment which aims at faithfully reconstructing the psychology of prison life. In the following two weeks, within the walls of a controlled makeshift prison, twelve randomly chosen men are assigned to become prisoners--losing their clothing, their identities, and their civil rights--while eight other volunteers become uniformed guards equipped with billy clubs, to maintain peace and order. However, what started as an ambitious investigation into human behaviour, rapidly escalates into a dangerously volatile situation, as the first signs of conscious violence appear only two days into the experiment. Now, Tarek, or Prisoner #77, and the rest of the inmates have become real convicts. Are they strong enough to overcome their limits?—Nick Riganas

Genre: Action   Drama   Thriller