Compliance

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Compliance

R

Released Aug 17, 2012

1h 30m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

89%

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141 Reviews

60%

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10,000+ Ratings

A fast-food worker (Dreama Walker) who's accused of theft is put through the wringer as her boss (Ann Dowd), at the direction of a phone caller who says he's a cop, subjects her to increasingly harsh forms of interrogation.

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Critics Consensus

Anchored by smart, sensitive direction and strong performances, Complicance is a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that's equal parts gripping and disturbing.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

It took me places I did not want to go, got me in a mindset so infuriating I was angry at myself for thinking the thoughts I was.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 2, 2020

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

It's not an easy watch, which is kind of the point, and I'm not even sure what genre it is. Psychological horror? Thriller? But it will haunt and resonate.

Sep 4, 2018

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Steve Erickson

Village Voice

Compliance's underlying humanism and political conscience lift it beyond being a macho endurance test.

Feb 22, 2018

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Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

Rife with the downfalls of human subservience, Compliance is a luminous, pulsating Milgram experiment come to life, and you won't be able to turn your gaze from the results.

Nov 16, 2020

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Writer-director Craig Zobel puts both his characters and his audience through 90 minutes of squirmy hell.

Rated: 2.4/5

Nov 11, 2019

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A complex and unnerving psychological thriller that is unmistakably the work of a promising and daring new talent.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 6, 2019

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Drew B

Its one of those movies where you just get super annoyed that everything is going wrong even tho the the main character is trying to do the right thing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

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Jason W

This film is based on a true story so don't listen to the commenters saying it's too unbelievable or has a weak premise - it actually happened. The movie is certainly infuriating, however - you'll want to throw things at your screen. But for what it is, it's a very well made film with a stark, in-your-face, bare-bones approach and it is totally compelling from beginning to end. My wife and I were riveted

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

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Douglas C

Ridiculous premise. This movie requires you to not only suspend disbelief, but also that you drive it to a vacant lot and leave it for dead. That this "Manager" would just blindly follow instructions to this degree from a voice on a phone... Ridiculous.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

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David R

This film is not believable. I turned it off after ten minutes. Nobody could be as naïve as the restaurant workers who are willing to do anything this mysterious voice on the phone says. Why didn’t the manager insist that the “cop” give her his badge number and come down in person with the accuser and a search warrant. Yeah, the manager wants to cooperate, but if she isn’t stupid she will also fear a lawsuit by the worker whose rights are being trampled. When you choose an odd premise for a movie, you have to be sure it is still believable. Sidney Lumet chose some odd premises—and entire film inside a jury room; a alcoholic woman who wakes up in a strange house with a guy she doesn’t know next to her who has a knife sticking out of his chest. But Lumet's movies are always believable from the first frame to the last. This director needs to watch some Sidney Lumet films to learn how to properly do the “odd premise” thing. David R.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

Full Review

Mitch C

The only reason I gave this as much as 1.5 is that the acting, especially the fast food manager's was very good. But the premise is ridiculous. It's so obvious within a couple of minutes of the "police officer's" call, that it's a total prank. I got through about 40 minutes and that was all I could take. Pass.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/22/24

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Gio S

90 minutes of disturbing, intensely frustrating psychological horror. Sensitive direction, great acting, and probably the most suspenseful slow burner film I’ve ever seen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

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Craig Zobel

Director

Ann Dowd

Sandra

Dreama Walker

Becky

Pat Healy

Officer Daniels

Bill Camp

Van

Philip Ettinger

Kevin

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Synopsis

A fast-food worker (Dreama Walker) who's accused of theft is put through the wringer as her boss (Ann Dowd), at the direction of a phone caller who says he's a cop, subjects her to increasingly harsh forms of interrogation.

Director: Craig Zobel
Producer: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, Lisa Muskat, Theo Sena, Craig Zobel
Screenwriter: Craig Zobel
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Muskat Filmed Properties, Dogfish Pictures
Rating: R (Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2012, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $311.9K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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