On Disc

The Experiment (2001)

R | 120 min | Drama, Thriller

For two weeks, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a prison. The "prisoners" have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the "guards" are told to retain order without using physical violence.

7.8/10
75,879

Rate

60 Metascore

See all photos

Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Moritz Bleibtreu

Tarek Fahd - Häftling Nr. 77
Christian Berkel

Robert Steinhoff Nr. 38
Oliver Stokowski

Günther Schütte Nr. 82
Wotan Wilke Möhring

Joe Maier Nr. 69
Stephan Szasz

Häftling Nr. 53
Polat Dal

Häftling Nr. 40
Danny Richter

Häftling Nr. 21
Ralf Müller

Häftling Nr. 15
Markus Rudolf

Häftling Nr. 74
Peter Fieseler

Häftling Nr. 11
Thorsten Dersch

Häftling Nr. 86

(as Thorsten J.H. Dersch)
Sven Grefer

Häftling Nr. 94
Justus von Dohnányi

Berus - Strafvollzugsbeamter

(as Justus von Dohnànyi)
Nicki von Tempelhoff

Kamps - Strafvollzugsbeamter
Timo Dierkes

Eckert - Strafvollzugsbeamter

Full cast

Director:

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Writers:

Mario Giordano (novel), Mario Giordano (screenplay), Christoph Darnstädt (screenplay), Don Bohlinger (screenplay)

All Cast & Crew

Awards

14 wins & 13 nominations.

Reviews & Commentary

User Reviews

23 August 2004 | bob the moo
Interesting, involving and exciting – made more interesting with revelations involving the US troops in Iraqi prisons

Taxi driver and freelance journalist Tarek Fahd spots an advert in a newspaper for volunteers to take part in a ...

Metacritic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Parents Guide

Message Boards

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although no one died in the Stanford Prison Experiment on which the movie was based, the experiment was prematurely ended after six days out of a planned two weeks. The college students assigned (randomly) to be prisoners were "withdrawing and ...

Quotes

Tarek Fahd, Häftling Nr. 77: Test subjects wanted. Earn 4000 marks for a 14-day experiment in a simulated prison.

Goofs

(at around 20 mins) Tarek took one of the prisoner's milk bottles with his left hand, then he's holding it in right hand. While giving back the milk bottle, it's in his left again.