Das Experiment is a shocking psycho thriller about the potential for brutality that humans hide. Even more shocking is the fact that it’s based on an actual occurrence — a 1971 psychological experiment at Stanford University that was aborted prematurely when the experimenters lost control.
Das Experiment may make an obvious point, but it's still a relevant one.
– Terry Lawson,
Detroit Free Press,
11 Oct 2002
rotten:
An R-rated version of Survivor, Big Brother or any number of reality-TV shows that present voyeurism as entertainment and exploitation as insight.
– Loren King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Oct 2002
fresh:
What impressed me is how effective the movie was, even though the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
25 Oct 2002
fresh:
Probably it's more action film than anything else, but has enough insight to be of interest to serious filmgoers.
– Ray Conlogue,
Globe and Mail,
8 Nov 2002
fresh:
The movie's central premise -- is well supported in a film whose strength is in its close-ups on characters and its ability to put the viewer in the cell with them.