Overview
A chilling exploration of human nature and authority unfolds in a controlled environment gone awry.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- chilling
- claustrophobic
- thought-provoking
- serious movie night
- history discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film absorbing, chilling, thought-provoking, and well acted, while some felt its relentless detail and extended runtime diminished its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The mock prison's rules and hierarchy enable guards to escalate mistreatment of randomly assigned prisoners.
Much of the experiment unfolds in the basement mock prison, where limited space magnifies surveillance, humiliation, and fear.
The film recreates the 1971 Stanford study while questioning authority, research ethics, and the validity of its conclusions.
Students rapidly begin behaving according to their prisoner and guard assignments rather than their ordinary identities.
Films like The Stanford Prison Experiment, and why
Das Experiment
shares a prison film setting, psychological experimentation, escalating institutional brutality, and claustrophobic thriller tension
The Experiment
shares a true-crime psychological premise, morally disturbing social behavior, and pressure-cooker confinement
The Wave
shares historical drama, institutional abuse, and a thought-provoking examination of authority and dehumanization
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
shares a confined institutional setting, escalating abuse, and intense scrutiny of power structures
Movie Details
- Director
- Kyle Patrick Alvarez
- Release Date
- 2015-07-17
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1015)
Cast
- Billy Crudup
- Michael Angarano
- Ezra Miller
- Tye Sheridan
- Olivia Thirlby
- Nelsan Ellis
- Moisés Arias
- Nicholas Braun
- Gaius Charles
- Keir Gilchrist
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Stanford Prison Experiment about?
- A chilling historical docudrama turns a basement psychology study into a volatile test of authority, identity, and human cruelty.
- What is The Stanford Prison Experiment like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Stanford Prison Experiment as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Stanford Prison Experiment violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Stanford Prison Experiment as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Critics broadly found the film absorbing, chilling, thought-provoking, and well acted, while some felt its relentless detail and extended runtime diminished its impact.
- Which films are like The Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Films with a similar feel include Das Experiment, The Experiment, The Wave, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
- How long is The Stanford Prison Experiment?
- The Stanford Prison Experiment runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Stanford Prison Experiment?
- In United States, The Stanford Prison Experiment streams on fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
