Director: Michael Almereyda
Year Released: 2015
Rating: 3.0
Intriguing look into the work of late social psychologist Dr. Stanley Milgram (Peter Sarsgaard) and, in particular, his Obedience studies, which had unknowing participants "shocking" a person (actually, a confederate) in another room ... and how those studies tied into his fascination with Nazi Germany (Milgram was Jewish). Almereyda takes an off-beat approach to the material - often having Sarsgaard break the fourth wall and bringing in an actual elephant into the hallway during pointed speeches by Milgram - and it's refreshing: I've always been a sucker for movies about psychology (I have a Bachelor's Degree in it) and the script does a nice job explaining Milgram's findings (that is, until the third act which becomes a bit of a jumble, often repeating itself or coming across as vague, like the diner scene that's out-of-place). There's no way the Obedience study would ever be permitted in today's world of academia, but the implications of the study will always be disturbing.
