The Experiment (2010)

Wonderful Movie

Wonderful character development!

Absolutely Fantastic

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

I am a huge fan of Forest Whitaker and given the right script he excels at playing the villain, however I do not believe that this script was right for him. The movie for me, was extremely slow moving right up until the last 15 minutes. I also felt the ending was rushed and left no explanation of why exactly this particular experiment had taken place or why it was allowed to continue so long after breaking the rules given by the scientists. This being said if you enjoy films that aren't overly thought provoking with over the top violence, you won't lose anything by watching this. For this film to rate higher for me I would have enjoyed a little more depth into the psychological meaning and exactly why certain characters personalities changed almost immediately within a prison environment. Also to have the characters backgrounds explored a little more as the only actor I really felt for was the comic geek.

This film is based loosely on (a) US sponsored psychological experiment in which a prominent psychiatrist ran amok creating a prison in the basement of a noted liberal University. It follows in the steps of a German film Das Experiment (2001), highlighting lack of originality in the US theatre.Very different from from the real life experiment in which the participants, recruited from students between semesters received rather chincy emoluments, the movie version claims that the test subjects, were offered stupendous incentives for their collaboration.The film correctly states that volunteers were assigned roles and that as the experiment went on the participants fell into the roles that were given them. Like the German film, the experiment devolves into ever increasing dosages of violence.In the US version, the feel good ending is even better than the German version. Travis (Adrien Brody) one of the prisoners has such a will to resist the torture and degradation that he busts out. Everyone follows him and they all receive their handsome checks.In real life, there was no busting out but there was some busting back in. Some who had under intimidation quit the experiment returned and applied to be re-instated. They had formed a camaraderie with the others in the project and wanted to see it through.In the film version the consequences for the authors of this fiendish experiment was severe. In an investigation that follows, the mad scientist, a rather small and squat gnomish sort behind the experiment, is indicted.In real life nothing of the kind occurred. Jocularly speaking of the escapade a quarter century later, the real life psychiatrist hosted a US sponsored college course on psychology.

Somebody recommended this film to me. The 'straight to DVD' release should have rung alarm bells...What you have here is a really promising premise for a psychological, edgy drama and two great actors. This should have been so much better.The holes in the plot are so big you could drive the bus through them.The guards are told that if they use violence the experiment will end without them being paid. We are never told why after several sickening assaults this rule is not being enforced. Even after the guards' ringleader has clearly lost the plot, twenty men walk meekly back to their cells and do nothing (even the token 'previously convicted hard-case'). Apparently, you can grab a knife by the blade without cutting your hand at all! The script could have been written by schoolboys (actually, they may have done better). There should have been some real exploration of the psychology of the situation. Instead, the violence and depravity escalates with out any believability, while the characters remain stubbornly two dimensional.

Come on now people, The cast was great and the movie was awesome!! Forest Whittaker does not fail us to impress us in every movie he makes. Of course, he went Way over board in this one. And lets not forget Cam Gigandet, besides he being such a hottie, he did good in this movie.Honestly the story was great. And everything that took place was bound to happen. Except of course, i was not expecting all the things i saw. Specially people pissing in other's faces. Disgusting!!!Overall a great movie. I did not know this was a remake of an original movie, which I'm sure the original was better. They always are, but because i have never seen it i can only go based on this one. I say you give it a try, Its a great movie. Sadly with a trippy ending. I was expecting a little more, and i was confused on weather everyone got money or just one. But overall great movie.