The Stanford Prison Experiment

Poster for The Stanford Prison Experiment featuring a chaotic and violent scene where several young men, dressed as prisoners and guards, are engaged in a struggle. One guard appears to punch a prisoner against a wall while others crowd around. The tagline at the bottom reads: “They were given 2 weeks. It lasted 6 days.” The film title is printed boldly in red on a crumpled paper-textured background, and the subtitle notes it is “based on true events.” A quote above the title praises the film’s disturbing realism.

Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Lead Actors: Billy Crudup, Tye Sheridan, Ezra Miller

Release Year: 2015

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420293/

Podcast Episode: Episode 044: Wait, Zimbardo Didn’t Do An Experiment? The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) with Keli Braitman and Jen Simonds

Psychology Concepts: aggression, cognitive dissonance, Cognitive Psychology, compliance, emotions, ethics, experimental design, fear, Film Analysis, group behavior, Historical Psychology, hostile aggression, isolation, morality, obedience, Research Methods, social influence, Social Psychology