Overview
A groundbreaking exploration of human behavior and the limits of obedience.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- cerebral
- unsettling
- restrained
- reflective evening
- history film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an intelligent, unconventional portrait of Stanley Milgram, strengthened by its formal invention and Peter Sarsgaard's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stanley Milgram directly addresses the audience and the film repeatedly foregrounds its own theatrical construction while recounting his career.
Milgram's electric-shock experiments test participants' willingness to follow instructions despite apparent harm to another person.
The experiments provoke public outcry and controversy over the treatment of participants and the implications of their findings.
The keyword metadata identifies fourth-wall breaking, and Milgram's presentation of events includes direct audience address.
Films like Experimenter, and why
The Stanford Prison Experiment
shared biographical drama, ethical inquiry, and psychologically probing examination of human behavior
The Experiment
shared true-story subject, institutional power, moral ambiguity, and restrained psychological tension
A Dangerous Method
shared historical psychology, formal experimentation, and challenging questions about obedience and authority
The Imitation Game
shared cerebral biographical drama, intellectual controversy, and unconventional formal storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Almereyda
- Release Date
- 2015-10-16
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (499)
Cast
- Peter Sarsgaard
- Winona Ryder
- Jim Gaffigan
- Edoardo Ballerini
- John Palladino
- Kellan Lutz
- Dennis Haysbert
- Danny A. Abeckaser
- Taryn Manning
- Anthony Edwards
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Experimenter about?
- A formally playful biographical drama probes why ordinary people obey authority through Stanley Milgram’s controversial 1961 experiments.
- What is Experimenter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Experimenter as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Experimenter violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Experimenter as mild.
- What did critics think of Experimenter?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an intelligent, unconventional portrait of Stanley Milgram, strengthened by its formal invention and Peter Sarsgaard's performance.
- Which films are like Experimenter?
- Films with a similar feel include The Stanford Prison Experiment, The Experiment, A Dangerous Method, and The Imitation Game.
- How long is Experimenter?
- Experimenter runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Experimenter?
- In United States, Experimenter streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
