The Experiment

A group of men volunteer for a paid psychological study, agreeing to live for two weeks in a simulated prison. They are divided into guards and inmates, and what begins as a controlled research exercise gradually turns volatile as the roles take hold. The film follows Travis, whose life outside has stalled, and Barris, whose authority as a guard hardens as the experiment proceeds.

The Experiment is a 2010 American drama and thriller directed by Paul T. Scheuring, who also wrote the screenplay with Mario Giordano. It was Scheuring's first feature film as director after his earlier work as a writer. Adrien Brody plays Travis, Forest Whitaker plays Barris, and the cast includes Cam Gigandet, Maggie Grace, Clifton Collins Jr. and Fisher Stevens. The film was produced by Stage 6 Films, Inferno Entertainment, Adelstein-Parouse Productions and Cinedigm, on a budget of about 22 million dollars.

On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 from roughly 60,000 votes. On TMDB it also stands at 6.4 out of 10, based on around 1,350 votes. The two sets of viewer ratings are consistent with each other, placing the film in moderate territory rather than at either extreme.