It’s hard to believe it took me nearly seven years to finally see this movie; I needed to start a discussion about my own film project centered around prison life on IMDb just to nudge myself into watching it. It's like Novacaine—it takes time, but eventually, I get around to things. Inspired by the actual Stanford prison experiment from 1971, *Das Experiment* is a powerful depiction of how fragile human minds can be. The film’s success lies in its ability to immediately establish that things are going to spiral out of control, and the way it relentlessly drives home this point with such directness is truly impressive storytelling. While the movie is upsetting, it also offers valuable insight into what people are capable of when put under extreme pressure. Moritz Bleibtrey and Justus von Dohnanyi deliver outstanding performances as Tarek and Berus, respectively, and their portrayals are central to the film’s descent into terror. This isn't just a study; it's an examination with results that feel frighteningly true to life. It’s dark, occasionally brutal, but ultimately vital viewing for anyone wanting a visceral experience—a reminder that this kind of thing could happen anywhere. I think the ratings on some websites are unfair; I’ve even bumped *Der Untergang* out of my top spot to declare this my new favorite German film. I hesitate to give it a perfect score after it's left such an impact, particularly because now whenever I hear The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” it won’t sound cheerful; instead, it will simply remind me of how bleak and brilliant *Das Experiment* is. 10/10

Source on TMDB