Can we really resist evil? This intense thriller tells the story of The Stanford Prison Experiment, Philip Zimbardo’s now-infamous 1971 psychological study which was designed to explore the impact on people of being imprisoned.

During the study, which was funded by the US Office of Naval Research, a group of male students were randomly selected to be prisoners or guards and introduced to the specially converted basement prison at Stanford University psychology department. Zimbardo intended his study to test the impact of situational power and powerlessness – but nobody was prepared for the results.
Join Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Oxford University after the movie to discuss the psychology beyond the screen.

“Chilling. A riveting, powerful, provocative film.” Kyle Smith, NY POST

“We watch with equal fascination and dread as a group of fresh-faced undergraduates adapt with scary speed to the roles they’re assigned.” AA Dowd

Dir. Kyle Patrick Alvarez. USA 2015. 2h 2m. Starring Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Billy Crudup

In partnership with the Ultimate Picture Palace