Compliance (2012) User Reviews (303)

Research made me re-evaluate this film.

[Matt_Layden · 7/10 · 9 February 2013]

After receiving a phone call claiming that one of her employees has stolen money from a customer, manager Sandra takes Becky into the back room, interrogates her, strip searches her and humiliates her, all because the voice on the other end of the phone claims to be a police officer.

This film had the same affect on me as the film Blindness did. Anger. I hated the characters, I hated what they were doing and I was yelling at the screen in disbelief. After the film was over, I had to search the incident and see just how much of this ridiculous tale was true. I was sure that once the girl was doing jumping jacks that the filmmakers took some creative liberties....boy was I wrong.

The film, until the end, is truthful to the events that played out in real life. I can't fault the film for portraying what literally happened, no matter how inane the people and the requests were. I sat there thinking there is no way in hell that these people are that stupid that they wouldn't question the voice on the other end of the phone. I think the choice on the filmmakers part that really put me over the edge was having the so called police officer, talk down to them, calling them stupid and to shut up. How, at that point in time does nothing click for you is beyond me.

Despite the film being small, confined and focused on one main topic, I felt glued to the screen with the stupidity of the characters and wondering how far will this guy take it. I felt sorry for Sandra, played very well by Ann Dowd, until she started back talking Becky. At that point my sadness for her stopped and my anger rose. Sure she was stupid for starting it, but you could tell she didn't want to. After she brought her husband into the picture, that went out the window.

Competently directed, nothing visual that really stands out, the camera served the story. A young girl being mistreated in a small room. The acting, for the most part felt natural to me. The small things that the actors do reflect real life, awkward laughter at an odd request was something I caught from the husband.

If a film gets me searching on the internet for more information, then bravo. If a film's goal was to infuriate me, mission accomplished. Compliance is a film that shows how stupid and gullible people can be. Stand up for yourself, use common sense and question authority.

The fact that this is a true story is just insane

[zlid · 6/10 · 1 January 2013]

After watching this movie i just couldn't believe it was based on a true story. It boggled my mind that a group of people could be this stupid. In BIG disbelief i searched the net to see if this was really true or just loosely based on a true story. I found proof that it was totally true. Every aspect of the story was true. ABC even did a story about these events with interviews with the manager and the young girl. Also showing actual footage of the events.

The movie is not bad. The characters to a good job. But you will spend more time with your mouth open in disbelief of whats happening then actually enjoying the movie. It really is disturbing.

Thought-provoking and frustrating

[ehteditor · 7/10 · 18 March 2013]

If the screenwriters were to have written this script in a vacuum, I would have been throwing popcorn at the screen due to what I'd consider to be the most illogical, ludicrous and unbelievable character decisions/motivations seen committed to film in a very long time. Sadly, this was based on a true story, which makes me want to tear my hair out at the sheepish state of American society and how so many people could be so readily manipulated and to such destructive ends. I'm horrified by the actions of the manager, her complicit co-workers, the baffling sadism of her fiancé, and the toothless submission of the young girl to such a bizarre situation. I'm horrified because in reality these characters were the most average of Americans but with such weak minds and will. I'm also horrified that the culprit on the phone is such a disgusting sociopath who would go to such bizarre ends to anonymously harm innocent strangers. And I'm horrified that this was not an isolated event. These are your neighbors. I'm horrified that this "slice of life" in modern American culture is only a "slice", and that there's so much more mindlessness where this came from.

I'm not the wisest of men, but I feel I can offer just a little sound advice for navigating this thing called life:

Question authority, and always think for yourself.

An Ugly Subject

[Michael_Elliott · 15 January 2013]

Compliance (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Based on a true story about a fast food manager (Ann Dowd) who receives a phone call from a police officer saying that one of the employees (Dreama Walker) has stolen some money from a customer. The officer then tells the manager to take the girl into her office, strip search her and then hold her there until the police can come get her. COMPLIANCE is a film that has made many people angry and the reports of walk-outs were rather shocking to see because you have to wonder why people would buy a ticket for a film like this and then get upset. I had the misfortune of living in Mount Washington, KY for a few years and this is where the original incident took place. It was at a McDonald's that I've eaten at and I even knew of the people involved in the case. Considering the "type" of town this place was it never really shocked me that something like this could happen but apparently it has happened all over the country. Yes, the subject matter is ugly and yes it's incredible that anyone could be so stupid to allow this to happen but it's all based on fact that people can check out. This film is a pretty ugly but I say that in a good way because with a subject like this there's really no way to paint it as something good so I admire the writer-director for just going strongly at the subject. Both Dowd and Walker turn in excellent performances as does the rest of the supporting cast. Again, the subject matter is just so crazy that it has to be true or else you'd start screaming at your television over the characters doing such stupid things. I still have a lot of questions over the actual case and especially consider the character of some involved. Having followed the case there were some major things that I felt were left out but this has little to do with this film. As a film I think it's very effective and ugly just as it should be. One could debate for years about what actually happened and what one would do if they were ever in a similar circumstance.

I dare you NOT to react ...

[twilliams76 · 7/10 · 3 January 2013]

I dare you to watch Compliance and not have some deep-rooted psychological reaction. Yell at the screen. Curse the characters. Walk out in disgust. I guarantee ANY movie fan will react.

Compliance isn't a movie one can casually watch and shrug-off as if one hasn't just seen something. I am not even sure how my closest friends would react to a film like this one. I watched with curious fascination at first but the fascination and interest quickly evolved into disdain and eventual outrage as the film played itself out for the audience's voyeuristic entertainment. Knowing that the film is based on a "True Story" is even more off-putting but none-the-less (and possibly more) repulsive. Thinking back, it is even unsettling trying to "peg" the audience as the unsuspecting pawns in this perverse social experiment gone horribly wrong.

Before getting to the film specifically, much has been made in regards to this film and a series of psychological tests dating back to the 1960s which have been collectively labeled The Milgram Experiment. These experiments involved test subjects who believed that they were either the subjects of a series of tests OR those in authority conducting this series of tests. The Milgram Experiment was also briefly cinematically explored back in the early 1980's in the film Ghostbusters in which the pretty blonde and the guy were guessing flashcards with symbols on their backsides. A wrong answer garnered a shock (poor guy). The Milgram Experiments were taken much further than this and caused many of the tested-upon subjects to appear to be near death after receiving numerous electrical shocks - the actual subject of the test were those placed in authority: how far would they be willing to go if they were supposedly cleared of all wrong-doing? Would people willingly allow their subjects to die?! Compliance doesn't deal with electrical shocks but shock you it does! The set-up is simple. A frazzled fast-food manager working on a busy evening with a short shift of workers (and short on supplies like bacon), gets a phone call from a police officer asking about the young, blonde cashier on the front line of the restaurant who has apparently been accused of taking money out of a customer's purse. As the officer is also busy, he is hoping the manager can assist him in asking the young employee (Becky - Dreama Walker of TV's "Gossip Girl") some questions. Calling her into the office, Becky, is confused and bewildered by the accusations; but as the manager Sandra (Ann Dowd - Garden State, Marley & Me, Bachelorette) HAS a police officer on the phone she does not want to appear to believe her own employee over the cop. What follows is beyond words.

Becky is subjected to a series of humiliations at the hands of Sandra at the behest of Officer Daniels. When Sandra is called away to assist with a series of events in the restaurant, another employee is brought in to watch over a by-now-nude Becky. Handed the phone to talk to Officer Daniels and take his instructions, EACH employee reacts differently some surprisingly and some not-so-surprisingly. The entire point of the film, I believe, is to shock but to also make each of us viewing this aware of WHO we would be. It is simple to say "I'd NEVER do that!" but is that too quick of a reaction. Sandra believes she is doing right because she is talking to a cop (it is NOT a spoiler to say she is NOT this plays out at the very beginning of the film); but does human decency ever register? I've read several attacks on the intelligence of these characters - "well, they ARE in the food service industry"; but that is an insult to mankind. Compliance asks a valid question and that incidents like this were duplicated (well nearly 70 times!) says something else. EACH person in this film is the subject of a cruel experiment all believing that they are COMPLYING with authority. Of course as astute viewer can see the holes - they are supposed to be there - but if there weren't any logical gaps this film wouldn't be as outrageous.

I believe this film fully succeeds in its goal. Watch and react.

Well-Acted but Painful to Watch

[eabra48463 · 7/10 · 20 April 2022]

"Compliance" is a film that is painfully difficult to watch at times, because of the nature of what we see and knowing it's all true. The initial reaction is to scoff at what takes place on screen, because it's so preposterous. It's hard to believe people wouldn't wake up sooner and realize what was going on or even have a basic understanding of the law and procedure. But, basic research shows it is all true. The fact this could happen is a testament to the gullibility of the American public, and that's the most painful part of all.

A testament to the failure of education in America

[adamkarz · 6/10 · 28 December 2012]

This movie is simply unbearable to watch. Yes, it is well made and has great acting. But whats infuriating is that it highlights how truly stupid and uneducated most Americans are. Yes, I understand given the notion of authority, people will listen to what they are told, but these people act like they have never heard of due process of law, innocent until proved guilty, asking for an attorney to be present or even asking for a policeman's badge number when he demands strange things. Only at a fast food restaurant, staffed by the most uneducated idiots could something like this occur. Or rather, I would like to think so. It seems as if the caller banks of what the people may have seen in TV shows to get them to follow his orders, but likewise, wouldn't TV at least remind people that officers don't strip search and spank people over like 40 missing dollars? The moral of the story is to stay in school and know your rights. Or you might wind up like these morons someday.

It's not funny 'cause it's true

[Critomaton · 7/10 · 18 April 2022]

Instead of walking out of the movie before reaching the end, as apparently many people did, I'm writing this review before I've seen the end. This is an excellent movie because of Ann Dowd's portrayal of a manager, Sandra, the likes of which we've probably all known. I've been in the workforce for nearly 4 decades and I know a handful of middle managers that I could easily imagine falling for this nasty prank.

My favorite part was when the manager's fiance is in the storeroom of the fast-food restaurant, with a naked-except-for-an-apron teenager in the background, and he's talking on the phone with the fakest-sounding "officer" you could imagine, and the manager interrupts him to ask "You want a Diet Coke, hon? A Diet Coke?" And then she asks her humiliated employee if she'd like a drink also. The realism of this scene is off the charts. It takes multiple layers of obliviousness and misplaced priorities to focus on a drink at that point in the proceedings, and that's exactly what it takes to fall for this prank in real life.

None of us think we would fall for this. But I bet all of us think we know some people who would. That's disturbing.

Apparently this film is very accurate to the true events, so it's not like I can rate it super high for originality or screenplay. And the subject matter doesn't lend itself to anything significant in the way of special effects, sound editing, etc. But, it's kind of a must-see as a cautionary tale, and Ann Dowd nailed her character, so I'll rate it a 7.

Unpleasant to watch but important

[rbsteury · 8/10 · 3 August 2012]

I saw this today at the Traverse City Film Festival. About 1/4 of the audience walked out before the film ended. I do not disagree that the movie is difficult to watch, but I think you can hardly review a movie where you walked out without seeing the entire film. This film makes an important and real point... that many of us will, when listening to what we assume to be an authority figure, do things which we know are wrong. It also has two characters who say in one way or another "No, I will not do this." Bravo for them and may each of us feel empowered to do the same, if not by our own ethical standards, then by viewing this movie and realizing how devastating the consequences can be.

One would like to be able to say "No one could be so stupid" but the fact that this type of event (involving, reportedly, even more degrading assaultive behavior than portrayed in this film) has happened repeatedly in this country (over 70, according to the closing credits) shows that wish to be untrue. I hope every young person will view this film and be brave enough to refuse any authority figure who makes demands on them which seem to go beyond the bounds of the law and good sense.

And don't ever talk to a law officer in detail without your attorney being present (and no, I am not a lawyer.)

Twisted, good - sad representation of society's regression

[wesawyournoobs · 7/10 · 3 March 2013]

This movie is executed as well as possible given the storyline and interest in maintaining truth. It's based on real-life events at a McDonalds, and the fact that this happened is really, really pathetic.

As such, the movie does a good job at shining a light on the seeming inability for people to think for themselves these days, let alone challenge authority. Especially when said authority is absolutely ludicrous.

The movie follows Becky (Dreama Walker, of 'Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23' fame) as she is the victim of a "prank" in which her manager is misled into sexually assaulting and demeaning her. The "pranker" is someone on the phone pretending to be a cop. And she listens to this guy. Seriously. Doesn't this fill you with distress that people are this gullible? Each day there are people with info. on you in companies such as banks, etc., and there are people like this that will mindlessly listen to a random phone call.

Kudos to the producers, directors, and actors for taking on such a role. It is definitely something that is not enjoyable to watch given the content, but that is the whole point. It's well done, just not amazing.

Did not believe this was true until I researched it

[omendata · 5/10 · 21 August 2020]

Unbelievable that there are such low iq folk in the world. It happened to a young girl Louise Ogborn in Mcdonalds just as described in the film.

It makes you wonder why in a crowd of people there is not one with an IQ over 50 to drop the call and ask for the number to phone back or just ask to speak to the Area Manager who was supposedly on the phone!

It is a slow burn, some well known actors and good performances all round and although it is not that exciting it does have some drama and it IS based on a true tale; one of many actually so the one reviewer who thinks it cannot be true should just try and use google and look up Louise Ogborn & Donna Summers & McDonalds & David Stewart. It is kinda spooky as I just watched the excellent "Cheap Thrills" last night which stars the fake Police caller Pat Healy who does give a pretty good performance in both movies and it is his manner which does give credence to the possibility that this actually happened as people are so conditioned to obey people in authority - Mind bogglingly interesting when you know it happened but the movie itself is a bit of a hard watch and is overly long so I cannot give it more than an average 5 out of 10.

Also amazing to note that the hoax caller was not prosecuted due to lack of evidence but the store manager got 5 years in jail so the film does have a place to illustrate how mad the world is becoming and how stupid and like sheep the populace are becoming - not really an eye opener for me as nothing surprises me these days.

Zobel Will Make You Cringe

[benjkramer · 9/10 · 10 September 2012]

"Compliance" is a shockingly terrifying film. As I watched the events unfold on the screen, knowing that they were tightly based off a true story, I had difficulty maintaining my breathing. With a sinister visual style from the start, filled with tight macro shots and a simply greasy aura, as well as powerful performances from all of the cast members, most exceptionally Ann Dowd, "Compliance" transcends from its fast-food setting into something much darker, and much more haunting. The abuse of the young cashier is repulsive. "How could you do that?!" you will continually wonder, wishing the words would escape your head in the form of a scream. This film is frustrating, vexing, and equally engrossing, almost as if the story itself doesn't satisfy man's need for vicarious horror. "Compliance" forces me to question my fate in humanity and the limits of the 7 billion people with whom I share this Earth. Ultimately this film is a sickening narrative, a narrative I might as well wish I had never seen. Must you watch this? No. Is this a vital piece of cinema? No. Is "Compliance" paralyzing, appalling, thought provoking, and, most brutally, true? More than you could ever imagine.

Civics 101

[mswseashore · 7/10 · 2 December 2022]

As a History Teacher of High School Students I am saddened by the lack of basic civic knowledge not afforded to the characters in this film and subsequently the real people who they portrayed. Ignorance is so depressing. Also this situation reminds us the the famous Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgrim Experiments of the 1960's, how easy it can be for authority figures to take control of unsuspecting or passive individuals. This film is important to see and the graphic nature is vital to its message. Look what the citizens of Germany allowed to happen the the 1930's and the tragedy of the followers of Jim Jones to name a few examples.

The news segment is still more interesting than the film itself

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 13 May 2023]

(2012) Compliance PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA

Anyone who "hadn't" read the news, seen the news or basically keep themselves properly informed on whatever what was happening on whatever format they get their news from, would be entranced by this film than people such as myself, since even before I even saw this movie, I had already seen the ABC 20/20 segment about this beforehand, therefore I was already aware about what to expect and when some of those things were happening, asking myself do I really need to watch this as a film and relive all of this all over again, when I had already had a reaction when I saw the actual segment. Movie based on actual events centering on employees working in fast food chains actually believing that an undercover officer or a law enforcer is going to make a phone call (without giving out his proper information for identification) so that their young female employees can perform very degrading acts to relive fantasies made by the unknown caller. Just because the employees must not like working where they're and so forth, that they believing that a cop is at the other end of the line making up false silly accusations that someone had spotted their young female employee stealing customers money when they don't even ask for any kind of ID or anything such as who was accusing them in the first place so that they could confront them. The last time a cop came to my house, he was looking for an address, showed me his badge right away as well as I get to look at his face. And speaking of which, while I was writing a review for this film I remembered someone making a prank call to me at one time posing as some gov't official except that I recognized the a-hole's voice and I filed a complaint against him since it's illegal to pose as a gov't official. And of course, he denied that he had anything to do with it but was given a warning by the police anyway. I would rather beat his ass, but this guy had a history of suing people for money for assault even though he acts like a total dick because he loves to provoke people to throw the first punch. Anyways, I didn't like this movie since I pretty much knew what was going to happen and ended up fast forwarding while playing much of it instead, and highly respect the viewers who did like it for it's intention was to make others aware that these things happen, except that I had already seen this on an actual segment and know some of the actual people that were involved, and to me that is sometimes more interesting than watching something that was based on a real life incident.

I don't care that it's based on true events.

[Ripshin · 18 July 2022]

I lasted less than halfway through this thing. HOW can people be such idiots? For DECADES, we have had television police procedurals. Common sense should have prevented ANY of this from happening,

My walk-away? "GOD, these people vote!"

Maddening

[jordan2240 · 6/10 · 25 November 2022]

I was scam-called by someone pretending to be a cop once. He claimed my wife had skipped jury duty. It was quite convincing for about 10 minutes, and then I realized what he was asking me to do made no sense, so I told him they'd just have to come and put my wife in jail, as he had threatened to do. At that point he became angry and revealed himself for the scammer he was.

The point is, any one of even slightly below average intelligence would have questioned this 'cop' well before things got to where they did. Everyone involved in the incident was a complete moron. That being said, that's not on the actors and filmmakers, as they were just portraying what supposedly happened, and I think they did it well. But you will not be able to watch this without getting extremely ticked, especially at the manager.

icky movie

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 September 2013]

Sandra (Ann Dowd) is a fast food restaurant manager and Becky (Dreama Walker) is one of her workers. It's a busy place. They get pranked by a caller pretending to be the police. First Becky is detained, then slowly the workers are coerced into strip searching her.

This was a very disturbing movie. It's impossible to sit all the way thru. It was truly squirm worthy. Dreama Walker created a character that is too confident. The main question here is 'Is it exploitative?'. I think it is. Some of the nudity could be tamped down. It's not necessary to advance the story. But I do understand they used it to disturb the audience. In that, they achieved their goal.

Chilling, real, thought provoking

[vandeman-scott · 7/10 · 16 November 2020]

People who say, "No one could possibly be this dumb" are missing the point of COMPLIANCE. We live in a world replete with Svengalis who mesmerize and influence others using glib tongues, intimidation, and fear. From high-end financial crimes a la Madoff, to phone threats from the "IRS," to lottery scams, to internet ransomware, this type of crime happens every single day, and often to people we would consider otherwise intelligent. The question is, "Why?" What within the human condition makes some of us vulnerable to this most insidious form of bullying? Exploitation is nothing new, and that's what this film explores.

Granted, by comparison to run-of-the-mill grifts, Compliance depicts a scam that pushes the bounds of extremity. It also depicts a scam that has succeeded in the real world numerous times, and blaming the victims downplays the very real danger that sociopaths and psychopaths who are genius manipulators pose to society.

And at the very bottom of this entire discussion is a little indie film that is so riveting and well acted, it will be over before you know it.

Recommendation: Watch to Strong Watch.

(December 2022 update: Netflix has just released a true crime documentary, DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE, that outlines just how strikingly true this film is to the actual events it depicts. I highly recommend it as a tandem watch with COMPLIANCE, also currently streaming.)

Too dumb for this world

[Nevergivea10 · 6/10 · 19 April 2022]

I have not researched the actual event, but if this movie is even close to reality, the participants should be euthanized for the well-being of the rest of us. I had to scan through a few parts that were too disturbing. To think that a young kid could be treated in such a fashion by brain dead adults nauseates me.

An important film

[david-546 · 8/10 · 12 August 2012]

Compliance is a difficult film to watch. But it is also riveting, fascinating and important. And it is also a film that probably should be shown in every high school classroom in the US and Canada. It is essential viewing.

Why should a film that is so uncomfortable to watch that some people walked out on it but also should be essential viewing?

Because people have to understand that it is sometimes necessary to question authority. The film touches a nerve. It touches a nerve with the moral dilemma that each of the characters are presented with from not only Becky who is the prime target of the prank but also for Sandra, Van, Phillip, and each of the rest of the employees of Chick-Which (which we understand was a stand in for MacDonalds). It touches a nerve on how each one of them reacts to the situation and how some think there is something wrong but do nothing or how just because it is supposed to be a person of authority on the other end of the phone that one has to do what you are told.

My son who is 19 was with us with when we saw the film. He immediately after the film told us that a class he took at his arts school in high school were presented with the situations depicted in Compliance. They discussed it in class. This was before the release of the film.

It is exactly this reason as to why this film should be shown in high school and discussed. Grant you there will be many who reject this premise because it presents a very uncomfortable situation and the film shows nudity and clearly implies sexual abuse. But what the film really shows is the importance of questioning authority when it doesn't make any sense. Taking this to its extreme is where one is handed a gun by a person of authority and told to kill in their presence another person and if they don't they too are killed but if you do carry out their instructions you live. That has happened (think the Nazi's) and will sadly probably happen again.

But the key here is to get across to everyone that authority must be questioned. And in this case the ability to question the supposed authority who can't be seen and is merely someone saying they are the police that they absolutely have to be questioned.

Finally someone did question the authority and then and only then did the entire prank unravel very quickly. Sadly not even the main victim questioned the authority although she tried and denied the allegations but at no point did she say I am sorry you can't do this to me and I want a lawyer now. And that I am entitled to a lawyer. People have to know their rights. And in the case of Compliance they didn't which made their pleas that they were innocent victims too seem all the more frightening.

Watch this film. It is uncomfortable. Don't walk out because if you do then you shouldn't have gone in to see it in the first place. You too have that choice. But if you do walk out you missed the point of the film.

It happened at a pizza place I used to work at

[wesleyt-20639 · 6/10 · 2 November 2020]

I see some people questioning whether this actually took place or not. I can tell you it did at a chain pizza place in NW PA while I was in high school circa 2002 and that the movie is pretty true to what actually took place with slight variations.

I only learned after the fact what happened because #1 I was too busy working while we had a skeleton crew and #2 because anytime I asked the assistant manager what was going on he would brush me off.

My assistant manager had a teenage girl, a girl who I dated briefly, locked in the bathroom and strip searched her because the guy on the phone told him she had stolen something. I knew something was off, but I remember thinking she must be either sick or emotionally upset and that was why she was hiding in the bathroom. I never overheard any of the phone conversation and the details of what happened were relayed to me the next time I went to work.

Now that I'm a bit older when I look back I think being a teenager I was too naive and if I was in that situation again at my age now I would have recognized there was something more wrong. The assistant manager was a middle aged, kind of fat guy with a pony tale and socially awkward and not the brightest guy. I can understand how he came to fall for this.

It really upsets me thinking that there are people out there who can think this stuff up and carry it out. I understand why people doubt this to be true because you think how could the manager let this happen and then how could the girl actually comply. I don't understand myself what was going through the heads of my manger or my friend that night in 2002 when it happened in my hometown. The police ended up arriving while I was still working and arrested my manager. I clocked out for the night wondering what the heck had happened and I never saw or heard from either of them again.

Compliance

[FKDZ · 5/10 · 26 November 2021]

Compliance is a simple showcase of the psychological effect people with authority have on certain people. And how it is used and abused in this case. A very interesting subject matter, but the movie, is the opposite.

This is slow, tethering on boring. There's nothing thrilling about this, at most its a drama about abuse. The first 30 or so minutes of the movie are really promising. But the directing and acting really lets this movie down. Most of the stuff you'll be watching is people thinking ''oh no I can't do that'' and then doing it.

Now yes, most of what you see is based on real events that actually happened and that's the disturbing part. But to make a movie out of it and not a documentary of sorts asks for a different perspective or feeling. And this movie failed at that. It seems like a weak attempt at a controversial subject.

This movie, especially nowadays is really hard to watch, and believe, that these people could've been THAT gullible is unfathomable.

It would be garbage if it were not a true story

[nsg666 · 10/10 · 9 February 2014]

On the 1st February 2014 author bunnywuv reviewed this film with a heading Stop! Strip search time... and rated it 1 out of 10.

Except for one large point I agree with everything they say in their review effectively that the film is totally implausible and unbelievable. BUT this film is based on true events. Now many films claim this only to be a loose interpretation and highly fictionalised version of the actual events. Today I Googled "what is the film compliance based on" and found another movies web site that shows the actual CCTV footage of the real life event along with clips of interviews with the victim and the manager. Dig this out and you'll find it as disturbing as the film itself.

As for the rating, I've given it 10 not because I enjoyed the film but because I don't want to bring down the average score. No one should like this film but, and only because it is based on true events, it does make compelling viewing.

Should have been a docu-drama

[citizen-caveman · 6/10 · 9 September 2013]

If it hadn't been ripped from the headlines the whole story would likely have been considered ridiculous. There again perhaps that why the hoax was so appalling successful. It's too ridiculous to be a hoax so nobody believed it was.

The subject matter is uncomfortable yet compelling, sort of like rubber necking a car crash. It's uncomfortable for any of us to think we could be taken in by such a hoax and go on to behave so appallingly towards somebody.

The film's strong point is that it becomes hard to dismiss the notion you would do something similar in the same circumstances.

The weak point is how the film explores the subject matter. The plodding plot line becomes predictable though never quite stale. It would be hard to write a plot spoiler for this film. If you were to watch the first thirty minutes then jump ahead another thirty minutes you still be able to follow what's happening no problem. (Yep, I did watch the whole thing.)

Actually I listened more than watched. A lot of the film is like a radio play with pictures thrown in. With the folks in the restaurant on the telephone explaining what they're doing and where to the fake police officer you could look away from the screen and still have a good idea of what is going on. Only towards the end does the film exclusively use pictures to tell the story.

A docu-drama would have permitted interviews that would provide a break from a somewhat monotonous plot line and add insightful context: why did the hoaxer do this? why did his victims comply?

That said, the film still managers to sell a powerful message to an audience that's become more sceptical by the end credits, namely don't unconditionally trust some anonymous voice at the end of a telephone no matter how convincing it sounds.

Angered me for the wrong reasons.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 5/10 · 31 August 2012]

Thing I can say about this movie is that it seriously angered me while I was watching but not for any of the right reasons though.

Watching stupid people doing stupid things, that's how I would sum this movie up. I just couldn't believe how far this guy could take things and how easily and willingly people complied, from pretty much the early start on already. It was crazy to watch and it honestly prevented me from ever getting into this movie and feel for its main characters.

And yes, of course I realize all of this truly happened so I also therefore don't call it unrealistic but that doesn't take away anything from the fact that this movie still felt like such a stupid one. Watching people do things like this is in no way a fun or intriguing experience, not even on a social experiment type of level.

You could definitely see and take this movie as a social study, that shows how easily people can be influenced and talked into doing some things which under no other normal circumstances they would ever agree to do. But I just could never enjoy or take this movie in such a way, simply because I couldn't feel for its main characters and the movie never gave me a true good sense of what was going on in their heads, as a good movie of this sort should always be capable of. Because of that, the movie just never worked on an emotional level for me neither, since I never felt any involvement with its characters, or any of the events.

So for me personally, this movie was being a bit of a shallow and one note experience. I can definitely still see why some people would still 'like' this movie and take it for what it is but it just angered me too much to ever fully appreciate it, on any level.

5/10

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