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Compliance

Play trailer Poster for Compliance R Released Aug 17, 2012 1h 30m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 141 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 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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Compliance

Compliance

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review Steve Erickson Village Voice Compliance's underlying humanism and political conscience lift it beyond being a macho endurance test. Feb 22, 2018 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Read all reviews
Compliance

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Compliance

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Movie Info

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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