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Compliance
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Compliance

2012
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 30m
When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no-one is left unharmed. Based on true events. (imdb)
Directed by:
Craig Zobel
Written by:
Craig Zobel
Starring:
Matt Servitto James McCaffrey Ann Dowd Ann Dowd Ashlie Atkinson Pat Healy Pat Healy Dreama Walker Dreama Walker Bill Camp Bill Camp Philip Ettinger Philip Ettinger Nikiya Mathis Ralph Rodriguez Rebecca Henderson Rebecca Henderson
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Genres:
Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Crime
Country:
USA
Language:
English
imdb More information at IMDb
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Compliance

2012
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 30m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 44.18% from 790 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 05 Sep 2012
5
43rd
Stupendously stupid fastfood workers ruin each other's lives by complying (hence the title) fully with a sick, twisted prankster pretending to be a cop. The inordinate stupidity on show is matched only by the baffling fact that this actually happened. If you're able to look past the premise, this is an interesting take on authority, trust and Pavlovian conditioning. It would have benefitted from spending 10 min. more on the fallout, as the final scenes really help flesh out character and motive.
Rated 05 Sep 2012
danastevensdanastevens
Rated 30 Nov 2012
80
80th
Compliance examines, among other things, how misplaced faith in authority can lead to abuse on a systemic scale. It's a deeply moral movie about the failure of morality, as grueling to watch as it is necessary.
Rated 30 Nov 2012
ryan_luedersRyan Lueders
Rated 23 Jan 2013
97
96th
Wow. I think this movie is insanely awesome. Not only was the acting good for everyone, especially the lead role played by the beautiful and talented Dreama Walker. This was completely based off a true story and they got absolutely everything right down to a T. I still can't believe that this sort of thing happened all over the country and it disturbs me to no end. I will say though that this movie is fantastic. Minimal sets but an amazing story make this a wonderful thriller/drama.
Rated 23 Jan 2013
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 31 Dec 2012
1
4th
by pushing us outside the manager's perspective so early with the big reveal, zobel removes the audience (and himself) from the event's sphere of relevance, forcing us to look down on these working class folks as clueless peons even as he ostensibly attempts to humanise them. in failing to make a cogent point, the film ends up just as irresponsible and morally accountable as its characters, providing no better justification for stripping a young girl in plain sight.
Rated 31 Dec 2012
cinemafan91Cinemafan91
Rated 05 Feb 2013
41
9th
You would think that about ten minutes into this phone conversation that Manager of the fast food restaurant would say "this is a shitty movie."
Rated 05 Feb 2013
krf7krf7
Rated 31 Dec 2012
40
19th
This is literally a 200 word news story transformed into a 90 minute movie. And not by any creative means, just by basically taking every facet and stretching it so thin so as to be repetitive and uninteresting.
Rated 31 Dec 2012
caprimodecaprimode
Rated 05 Feb 2013
40
7th
Missed its mark by a wide margin. It's supposed to be about how human nature will make us comply to anyone that is an authority figure, even if its something we are against. But the characterization is so bad that every character comes off as dumb or creepy; taking them further from the everyman that they are supposed to be. In the end we feel like we are in the room, getting exploited into watching the molestation, right alongside the characters. Very poor.
Rated 05 Feb 2013
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 08 Sep 2012
58
12th
Despite convincing performances and competent direction, this dramatisation of an almost unbelievable true story never really digs deeper than your average TV movie, and perhaps would have made a better documentary. At first I thought it was a stunning indictment of our inability to stand up for ourselves in the face of authority, but then I realised that the prankster just chose his targets very well.
Rated 08 Sep 2012
ludvigsenludvigsen
Rated 23 Dec 2012
50
22nd
55 minutes in you'll be shouting "why the fuck dont you just...." for the rest of the film.
Rated 23 Dec 2012
kleaklea
Rated 30 Aug 2012
50
48th
Would've preferred if they had cut out 5-10 mins of the first hour to make time to get a little more into the fallout of everything
Rated 30 Aug 2012
td888td888
Rated 06 Sep 2012
40
28th
Fleshing out the characters would have benefited this film much better. Also the aftermath is much too short.
Rated 06 Sep 2012
abunchofcatsABUNCHOFCATS
Rated 06 Sep 2013
70
29th
A pretty decent dramatic retelling of a bizarre crime that exemplified what people will do when told to do it by what they perceive to be an authority figure.
Rated 06 Sep 2013
sproostsproost
Rated 19 Feb 2024
40
15th
The behavior of the characters is extraordinarily implausible. I know Zobel plays the trump card "it's based on true events" twice, but that doesn't mean it's a documentary. I (hesitatingly) do believe people are this stupid to have this happen to them, but nah, not like that. It lacks the right narrative and acting choices to make us identify with any of these people. The only manipulative takeaway really is that people are stupid. It's not interested in human "compliance" as a concept.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
northsiderNorthSider
Rated 17 Dec 2012
62
47th
A wonderful premise that devolves into a detached and ultimately preposterous ending. Beautiful visuals without a real message to back it up.
Rated 17 Dec 2012
lauftLäuft.
Rated 10 Oct 2012
42
14th
I just had the weirdest boner.
Rated 10 Oct 2012
obdurateObdurate
Rated 30 Aug 2012
60
23rd
At first I thought, "Who could be THIS stupid?" I mean, there's movie stupid, which you kind of expect, but then there's going beyond that. But really, authority and conditioning really affect how people react to certain situations. Plus I then read the accounts of this happening. It's a tad different. It's still not a great movie, wish we could have actually gotten to know the people more (so their reactions would make more sense), it was drawn out too much, not much of an ending. But yay tits.
Rated 30 Aug 2012
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 21 Sep 2012
55
53rd
The point was supposed to be that people would do this sort of thing because they're people, not because they're stupid. Unfortunately, the movie fails to convince the audience that they would do the same as the characters, at least for the first third of the film. It ultimately hits its stride, and becomes disturbing and powerful until the actual police arrive, but it could have been much more. It was quite good, and this story definitely needs to be told, but it also needs to be told better.
Rated 21 Sep 2012
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 11 Dec 2013
4
91st
All the more frightening for it's refusal of easy shocks, very good. That they changed profession of the perp -I think- says a lot about the role of 'security' in our lives.
Rated 11 Dec 2013
trash_puppetTrash Puppet
Rated 03 Nov 2012
6
32nd
Nice idea, but made in a way that makes it seem unbelievable, which is a shame.
Rated 03 Nov 2012
naurunauru
Rated 29 Oct 2012
69
72nd
Very good film. To be honest, if this hadn't been based on a true story I'd consider it too ridiculous to take seriously. Makes you think, that is for sure. Could have used a longer ending, but overall it's very well made, on what looks to have been a small budget.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
dougiedDougieD
Rated 18 Dec 2012
85
68th
A frustrating and haunting film about a prank call at a restaurant that leads to the strip search of a young girl, made all the more disturbing in that it is based on a true story. Nearly everyone involved is hurt due to our insistence as humans to follow authority figures. The performances are strong all around, especially Ann Dowd as the naive manager who doesn't ask enough questions. I will never be able to watch again but there is no denying its powerful story.
Rated 18 Dec 2012
ytadelYtadel
Rated 12 Jan 2013
4
43rd
If this was a purely fictitious movie I would probably think it was pretty bad, but the fact that these events more or less actually happened is just horrifically fucking morbidly fascinating and really makes you think about the nature of authority. Cutting to the caller was a very poor creative decision that strips the movie of its claustrophobia, though, and Dreama Walker (whose character I get is passive, but still) doesn't really find anything interesting in her performance.
Rated 12 Jan 2013
carpetgiantCarpetgiant
Rated 05 May 2014
81
43rd
Oh, so that's what compliance is all about. We have a compliance officer where I work and now I know what he does all day.
Rated 05 May 2014
wezzoWezzo
Rated 21 Aug 2013
85
67th
Morbidly fascinating and executed with devastating grace, a can't-look-away-compelling portrait of one of psychology's most fascinating experiments come to life.
Rated 21 Aug 2013
zipsterZipster
Rated 11 Aug 2014
99
96th
One of the most agitating, infuriating films I've seen in a long time. Scarier and more unnerving than any horror film.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
joelwatchesmoviesjoelwatchesmovies
Rated 07 Mar 2015
8
80th
An extremely disturbing and claustrophobic thriller set almost entirely within the confines of a fast food restaurant. Based on a true story, it showcases the shocking extent to which a group of employees obeyed authority. The film expertly builds the tension with each scene, leaving in its wake a viewer tearing their hair out in incredulity and horror, as watching the events unfold becomes nearly unbearable. Solid acting and smart filming round out this well-made indie flick.
Rated 07 Mar 2015
timmotimmo
Rated 22 Oct 2012
80
44th
An interesting film that certainly leaves you with something to think about. Really, though, doesn't everyone know that police always do things in-person?
Rated 22 Oct 2012
getmoneygetmoney
Rated 10 Apr 2013
79
50th
Know your rights.
Rated 10 Apr 2013
lunheurlunheur
Rated 03 Jan 2013
75
56th
It's funny that people are calling this unbelievable since it pretty much happened like this exactly. It's scary what people comply to under the right circumstances and even scarier that no one believes this kind of thing could happen and has happened. The wikipedia page for the movie has links to the actual case and the infamous Milgram and Stanford experiments. Milgram discovered that 60% of people really do follow orders they know are wrong if it's from an authority that says it'll be fine.
Rated 03 Jan 2013
ozonepaulozonepaul
Rated 26 Mar 2013
88
55th
A bit too exploitative for my taste-considering the subject matter-but not bad at all. Authority is one of the most dangerous weapon imprinted in all of us. And it's not just dumb people who would act like this. In this sence this movie lies. Hard to believe but it happened exactly as in the movie (Mount Washington, Kentucky, incident). The biggest prank is that at the end McDonald's was ordered to pay the lawyers $2.4 million, while Louise Ogborn got only $1.1 million compensation.
Rated 26 Mar 2013
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 14 Jun 2023
80
62nd
Coldly, antiseptically fascinating case study of surrender to authority is less about “the voice” compelling people to do deplorable things than it is about allowing “the voice” to give free reign to a person’s darker impulses (note the intriguingly ambiguous undertones of the section involving Camp, vs how easy it is for at least two of the characters to instantly size up the “right thing” to do). Well performed by all, and maintains a steady, creepy atmosphere for the full duration.
Rated 14 Jun 2023
solomonburrrSolomonBurrr
Rated 18 Nov 2020
64
39th
64.3.
Rated 18 Nov 2020
meltemcilikmeltemcilik
Rated 11 Dec 2014
65
46th
it's about the milgram experiment but a very disturbing film.
Rated 11 Dec 2014
gsbgsb
Rated 27 Aug 2019
75
61st
Disturbing and mundane, but that's just what makes it so more disturbing.
Rated 27 Aug 2019
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 19 Sep 2012
60
41st
Reading that - according to Wikipedia at least - it actually happened pretty much like this is just shocking. Things I took away from Compliance: 1) People are unbelievably fucking stupid, 2) That girl had a hot body. 3) Just, I mean, WTF.
Rated 19 Sep 2012
filmfreak88filmfreak88
Rated 02 Aug 2013
65
46th
Despite the fact that the events depicted in here is pretty much consistent with its true-to-life inspiration, Zobel is not always successful in grounding the character's unquestioning compliance in psychological believability. But the film is still compelling in parts.
Rated 02 Aug 2013
quez2goquez2go
Rated 08 Mar 2013
73
53rd
It's amazing what a filmmaking team can do with $16,000 and a great idea for a movie. The acting is solid across the board, especially Ann Dowd and Dreama Walker. This film is tense, gripping, and provocative enough that I'm already googling the real-life cases of this. Well worth a watch.
Rated 08 Mar 2013
nick_hamdenNick Hamden
Rated 16 Jul 2013
60
47th
Honestly, I thought reading about the events that the film was based on was creepier than watching the events unfold.
Rated 16 Jul 2013
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 12 Jan 2013
60
10th
I think what's frustrating and haunting about this movie is that it actually happened, which means that somebody was actually clueless enough to believe that a cop would have all of this happen. I mean, by the time you get to the SPANKING surely you know something's up. The ending kinda blows and the direction is, at times, obnoxious. Not a great movie but I guess worth viewing once.
Rated 12 Jan 2013
worstcasesceworstcasesce
Rated 09 Feb 2013
1
0th
The most horrible watch with a good movie I've ever had. Compliance is solid as hell, but the story is enraging. I understand the psychology behind it, and I'm quite confident that I could more than likely become complicit in a similar situation, but part of my brain keeps going "well I would NEVER do that!" in the back of my head. Score is not a grade.
Rated 09 Feb 2013
barraocBarraoc
Rated 11 Sep 2014
60
38th
Just confirming how stupid people can be...
Rated 11 Sep 2014
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 20 Aug 2017
78
57th
A kind of social commentary / study of humanity film that makes you think... but that one thought is essentially just repeated louder and louder until the film concludes. So a little too monotonous, as well as uncomfortable to watch due to the story. The concept was unique, but too easy to figure out early on. The script needed fresh ideas. On the plus side, the acting was very good throughout. Ann Dowd in particular gave a skilled performance. Unlearn a lesson in trust and then wipe your mind.
Rated 20 Aug 2017
isaboojumisaboojum
Rated 15 Dec 2013
3
59th
If I hadn't known this actually happened, I don't think I would have watched more than 20 minutes of this -- it sounds so ludicrous. Because I knew it did, I almost couldn't make it either -- it was too enraging and unpleasant to sit through. I'm glad I did, though. I appreciate some of the choices the director made towards the end and I really, really like the final scene.
Rated 15 Dec 2013
kramyessevKramYessev
Rated 25 Mar 2013
64
44th
This reminded me quite a lot of Boyle's "127 Hours" in that the events they are both based on are astonishing and unbelievable, but they simply don't make for interesting films. I don't need a 90 minute movie to remind me that people are fucking stupid. I did have a massive nerdgasm when James McCaffrey, aka MAX-FUCKING-PAYNE, showed up. He didn't call anyone a fucking asshole though. :c
Rated 25 Mar 2013
superargoSuperargo
Rated 21 Oct 2012
42
24th
Tense and well-performed, there's no doubt, but ultimately derailed by its distractingly high "holy-shit-these-people-are-stupid" factor.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
djrossdjross
Rated 09 May 2013
60
62nd
Title says it all: Milgram for the modern age. Long sections are nearly unwatchable. Seems to stick fairly closely to the facts, other than changing names and the profession of the caller. Cast does well.
Rated 09 May 2013
noisebloomnoisebloom
Rated 09 Jun 2022
87
82nd
Compliance's protagonists suffer at the hands of psychological manipulation that is far behind the realm of comprehension, but horrifyingly this movie is an amazingly faithful adaptation of what actually happened. Zobel is smart enough to avoid the graphic detail of the incident but disturb the audience with the shocking tension of guessing what is going to happen next. I won't be viewing Compliance again anytime soon, but it's a masterful retelling of a true story.
Rated 09 Jun 2022
juntakinte99juntakinte99
Rated 07 Apr 2013
93
87th
This film exemplifies the idea that people are only as good as the world allows them to be. By retelling the real-life events, it works as both a documentation of sexism & a drama on the depths of depravity someone is capable of after thinking their actions are sanctioned by authorities. The director is obviously interested in forcing the audience to examine their own blemishes in the mirror. Unfortunately, that means it's a conversation starter as opposed to a feel-good movie you'll rewatch.
Rated 07 Apr 2013
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 02 Mar 2013
50
23rd
Stupid assholes who are based on real life stupid assholes ruin a girl's life because they are too stupid to realize what they are doing.
Rated 02 Mar 2013
eric_janeric-jan
Rated 11 Sep 2012
70
54th
AMAZING story to make a movie of, very original. The ending is not that believable though (where she gets raped).. :S. Still, if this really happened, the badguy is an amazing liar and I think for psychologists this movie is a goldmine. Well done to Dreama Walker and Ann Dowd whos acting was amazing! They should have put more time in character development though, to make the whole thing more believable.
Rated 11 Sep 2012
cgcorecgcore
Rated 12 Dec 2014
46
24th
may be overwhelmingly nerve wrecking for certain type of audience, but to me it should have been a short movie. solid direction anyway. recommended for 'the girl next door' type film lovers.
Rated 12 Dec 2014
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 04 Mar 2013
52
38th
It feels pretty shocking and stupid, and even more disturbing when you realize this is a actually a dramatization of true events. The thing is: this is not a horrible film -- it's well-shot, and Zobel creates good solutions to suggest what's happening with subtle, smooth camera movements --, but it suffers from pace issues, specially in the last minutes, that feel a bit disjointed and rushed.
Rated 04 Mar 2013
rurusmasherRuruSmasher
Rated 05 Feb 2020
85
50th
I just sometimes think of this film and how unbelievably creepy it is, and how it seems implausible and yet so scarily believable. And it did happen... Fuck capitalism is what I say to that.
Rated 05 Feb 2020
chemical404chemical404
Rated 07 Oct 2013
32
14th
I have seen security camera footage of this unfortunate event. Sorry to say, it was more entertaining than this film. Understanding human psychology can be used on same nasty things, besides marketing tricks.
Rated 07 Oct 2013
realmacgyverRealMacgyver
Rated 23 Jan 2013
70
54th
If it wasn't based on a true story this film would be rediculous. The fact it IS based on a true story IS rediculous. How this could happen once, let alone multiple times is a bit insane but it's a real life example of psychological experiments that show many people will do anything if an authority is telling them to. Well performed by everyone involved but not exactly a pleasant watch. Fucked up would be more fitting.
Rated 23 Jan 2013
parexus2Parexus2
Rated 11 Jan 2014
74
40th
Ranked on January 10th, 2014: 74 Ranked on November 16th, 2017: 75 Very, very accurately told. This is an incredibly uncomfortable movie to sit through at times, and is done well for the most part. However, it isn't something you want to watch more than once. The acting is very realistic as are the depictions of each character.
Rated 11 Jan 2014
gkfilmgkfilm
Rated 24 Apr 2021
60
52nd
Entertainment: 4. Spirit: 0.5. Sustainability: 1. Family: 0.5
Rated 24 Apr 2021
ozdemibrozdemibr
Rated 26 Sep 2013
73
47th
Stanley Milgram
Rated 26 Sep 2013
dogubombDogubomb
Rated 29 Apr 2013
30
12th
"Based on a true story" in fact does not make you automatically believable.
Rated 29 Apr 2013
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 29 Oct 2014
28
24th
I can understand reading about the real incident that happened and thinking "this is crazy, this could totally be a movie", that is until you realize how basically pointless and mean the whole thing, and by proxy re-enacting it, is. If not exactly mean-spirited (i do think Zobel had good intentions) it's at the very least more than a little condescending (yes, please, show us another close-up of a grease fryer to remind us how dehumanizing the fast food industry is...)
Rated 29 Oct 2014
syntheseizurSyntheseizur
Rated 18 Feb 2013
36
4th
Sickening. It's a fundamentally drab film, emphasizing the ugliness of the fast food institution, but it's fatiguing. The film, through its characters, stews itself in the insecurities of humankind and tells us that people will do anything not to feel truly vulnerable, and it's got a point. The fast food industry is subtly implicated (rightly) in the crimes of these people. There's a singular vision here with a worthwhile premise, but I'm not masochistic enough to have enjoyed any of it.
Rated 18 Feb 2013
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 24 Apr 2013
60
54th
Didn't wow me but I was somewhat pleasantly surprised. It's very tricky to get away with a movie that makes you go "why the hell would any of these people be so goddamn stupid", even if it's faithfully based on true events. Compliance treats its incendiary subject with relative taste and elegance, and the script shows a great deal of effort to imagine how things might have actually gone down - with a decent degree of success. Ann Dowd performs impressively.
Rated 24 Apr 2013
vinegarbobVinegarBob
Rated 05 Apr 2017
20
9th
Even though these prank calls really happened this film wallows in them in a pretty gratuitous way. These events took place many times over many years to different people, and to varying degrees of severity, but we're watching the worst one; and they cast a very attractive young nubile blonde in the lead role. If you feel dirty for having watched this movie that's the reason, and it's not a coincidence.
Rated 05 Apr 2017
johnatanjjjohnatanjj
Rated 11 Feb 2013
80
56th
a very painful movie to watch
Rated 11 Feb 2013
prestobixPrestoBix
Rated 20 Aug 2015
70
45th
Seen: 2x
Rated 20 Aug 2015
raven77raven77
Rated 06 Mar 2013
2
6th
Could have been better with a little more characterization and something more to the ending than "welp, that just happened."
Rated 06 Mar 2013
matthagenmatthagen
Rated 06 Jul 2020
45
30th
Disturbing and dumbfounding at the same time, a unique social experiment. I reacted to it, so it did something right. But there is little here to recommend.
Rated 06 Jul 2020
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 23 Jun 2013
61
27th
The obvious complaint is regarding how completely stupid all these characters are, however when you realize that this event actually happened...
Rated 23 Jun 2013

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