• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

DVD Review – Experimenter (2015)

March 9, 2016 by Robert W Monk

Experimenter, 2015.

Written and directed by Michael Almereyda.
Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Winona Ryder, Anthony Edwards, John Palladino, Jim Gaffigan, Harley Ware, John Leguizamo and Anton Yelchin.

SYNOPSIS:

In 1961, famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of radical behavior experiments that tested ordinary humans willingness to obey authority.

Michael Almereyda’s biopic about Stanley Milgram’s controversial psychological experiments is an ambitious work that brings in a cultivated art-house sensibility over and above the dramatic shocks and scares – both real and imagined. The pace is fairly subdued with an academic feel in keeping with the subject. This is further developed through the use of fourth wall breaking – with Milgram at points turning to the camera to tell us exactly why he is taking the approach he is.

Focusing on the period of 1961 when the social psychologist’s work on obedience took off in a series of Yale university experiments designed to test how willing average citizens were to toe the line, the film captures the period detail and political machinations in super high definition.

The film begins and is centered around the experiment in which people think they’re delivering electric shocks to a friendly stranger strapped into a chair in another room. The subjects are told that it’s a memory test, but in reality the experiment is about conformity, conscience, and free will. Milgram was interested in probing how likely people were to comply with authority. In the test, the authority figure is always watching over proceedings, telling the subject to continue the shocks even when they think the test subject – who is really an actor –  is crying out in pain.

Milgram’s pushing of the boundaries of psychological experimentation created a storm of controversy in his time and raised questions that are still of the utmost importance today. Played with wit by Peter Sarsgaard (Black Mass, Orphan), Milgram is dedicated to his work and is compelled to discover exactly what drives people to do what they do.

The film is strong on the ethical and moral problems of tricking people into thinking they’re doing one thing when really they’re being looked at for another reason, and it is here that the film is really worth investigating. It not only looks impressive with detail from the tine brought to the fore, but it also packs in a lot of information in a relatively brief time.

As a relationship drama looking at the trials of married life involving Milgram and his wife Sacha (Winona Ryder) the film is slightly more strained, but still manages to create the impression of a driven man and a devoted partner. All in all, a diverting and intriguing piece.

SEE ALSO: Order Experimenter via Amazon UK or Amazon US

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.

. url=”.” . width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /]

Originally published March 9, 2016. Updated January 18, 2020.

Filed Under: Movies, Reviews, Robert W Monk Tagged With: Anthony Edwards, Anton Yelchin, Experimenter, Harley Ware, Jim Gaffigan, John Leguizamo, John Palladino, Michael Almereyda, Peter Sarsgaard, Winona Ryder

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

8 Great Recent Films You Really Need To See

7 Great NEON Horror Movies That Deserve Your Attention

10 Great Recent Horror Movies You Need To See

Whatever Happened to the Horror Icon?

10 Stunning Performances Outrageously Snubbed by the Oscars

The Essential Action Movies of the 1980s

Gladiator at 25: The Story Behind Ridley Scott’s Sword-and-Sandal Epic

Friday the 13th at 45: The Story Behind the Classic Slasher

The Best UK Video Nasties Of All Time

Great Creepy Dog Horror Movies You Need To See

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

10 Essential Chuck Norris Movies

Is Paul Thomas Anderson the Best Hollywood Director of the 21st Century?

Movie Review – The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)

2025 London Film Festival Review – The Mastermind

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – Good Boy

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – Jay Kelly

Movie Review – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025)

The Top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

10 Tarantino-Esque Movies Worth Adding to Your Watch List

Movie Review – After the Hunt (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Almost Famous at 25: The Story Behind the Coming-of-Age Cult Classic

1990s Summer Movie Flops That Deserved Better

Godzilla Minus One and the Essential Toho Godzilla Movies

Psycho at 65: The Story Behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Masterful Horror

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Write for Flickering Myth
  • About Flickering Myth
  • The Baby in the Basket