Moritz Bleibtreu,
Christian Berkel,
Timo Dierkes,
Oliver Stokowski,
Andrea Sawatzki
... see more 
A man taking part in a scientific study finds the fine line between play-acting and reality has been blurred beyond recognition in this taut drama. Tarek Fahd (Moritz Bleibtreu) is a journalist who is... read more
Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Release Date: January 1, 2001
DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003
Stats: 1,228 reviews
20 men volunteer to participate in a lab experiment in a simulated prison. At first the men have a good time with it, but then things go downhill when some of the men take the experiment more seriously than others. The film is based on a true experiment, and the results are prett... read more
Das Experiment is a theatrical "what if" inspired by the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) and Mario Giordano's subsequent novel. The script is gritty enough but there are more than a few holes and lapses of logic. Still, the overall aura of the film is gripping... read more
Based on a real life psychological experiment, the simulated prison environment is like a ticking timebomb, waiting to see the power struggle between Guards and Prisoners unleash into violence and humiliation.
A good film, well acted, but possibly not quite as good as a lot of... read more
The Experiment failed to yield any favorable reports for me. If you wish, experiment it on yourself; though IMO, it should be aborted.
The line between reality and role playing gets blurred in this creepy study of human behaviour. Only thing that keeps this from getting more stars is the pointless repetition of "what is the girlfriend doing?" scenes, which really didn't add a lot, with the exception of some bits... read more
The picture here makes this movie look pretty silly. The guy looks like the older brother, from Everybody Loves Raymond. He doesn't look very happy about this so called "experiment" at all. I saw this movie, and it's actually really good, in a serious way, not in a silly way.
A brilliant look at the abuse of power, and mans violent nature. The cases are looked at from all sides, but the director seems a little eager for us to pass judgement and really shock us. The end turns into average Hollywood action and slightly OTT. However it makes its point an... read more
This is the perfect archetype of a movie that starts out tame and gets more and more disturbing as it progresses. I've really never seen another movie that did such a good job of showing people descend into pure madness at a pace that makes sense. It was realistic, which made it ... read more
The plot is fairly simple with some weak points but overall I think they did a very good job writing the screenplay. The story flows naturally and never feels like a screenplay and even though the movie is quite predictable, one is very excited through the entire film and a speci... read more
As a social experiment goes wrong, questions are raised about human nature and how far they will go if they only get the chance. Das Experiment is refreshingly un-American, although I am not the biggest fan of German direction (trip hop OST and fast editing, think Run Lola Run). ... read more
Probably it's more action film than anything else, but has enough insight to be of interest to serious filmgoers. Full Review
What impressed me is how effective the movie was, even though the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Full Review
An R-rated version of Survivor, Big Brother or any number of reality-TV shows that present voyeurism as entertainment and exploitation as insight. Full Review
Das Experiment may make an obvious point, but it's still a relevant one. Full Review
In the end, it looks as if this experiment proves only one thing: People forced to play guards and prisoners tend to end up imitating bad prison movies.
A harrowing study of the corrosive effects of absolute power.
Even when playing a bad-boy archetype, Bleibtreu is an enormously charismatic actor who grabs the audience and runs with it.
It is in the camera details rather than the grand design that Das Experiment excels. Full Review
Too many flaws, too many holes in the plot. Full Review
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