31 Days of Horror: Compliance

“How far would you go?”

Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4

For those who have seen The Stanford Prison Experiment or know of the psychological madness that was created by Zimbardo, you will know that humans are capable of being incredibly monstrous when given an ounce of authority. While the events that occur in Compliance might seem too far fetched to have actually occurred the truth is that they simply happened; however the more terrifying aspect is that they happened at least 70 times.

What starts as a usual busy Friday night at the fast food restaurant quickly turns into a night of pure chaos when the manager gets a call from an “Officer Daniels” claiming to be calling about a theft that occurred early that day.

Compliance is going to make you uncomfortable, at least I can say that both times I have watched this film now I have been left with this terrible pit in my stomach, but that is clearly the point of the film. While some might call this film torture porn it simply has more to say than other films that have earned that title like Saw or Hostel. A film that digs deep into the human condition is going to be an ugly film, as Compliance argues we bow down to authoritarianism, no matter how sinister the demand might be we will do almost anything to have an ounce of power.

If the performances by the two leads in the film were bad, even mediocre, the film would fall flat on its face and be completely unbelievable. Ann Dowd as Sandra and Dreama Walker as Becky give this film the authenticity that it needs to feel like a believable event. Both actress share their vulnerability and they use it to help craft the horror that unfolds making us question what we would do in the situation. While Becky clearly has the most at stake when the events start occurring, they are still both victims to the crime and yet both are at fault for blindly following the orders that are being given.

The score for the film by Heather McIntosh is near perfection, capturing all the emotions going on during the film from both the audience and the characters in the film. The score that this most reminds me of is Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho score; with all of the strings just attacking the audience at times violently but all you can do is squirm in your seat realizing the victim is helpless to the attack. The fact that McIntosh’s first score is compared to one by one of the greatest film composers is a marvel but to my disappointment she has yet to work on any big budget film since crafting this magnum opus.

Compliance is a film that I found completely troubling when I first saw it back in 2012 but now I feel the film has become even more freighting. Each time I turn on the news it would seem that we have Trump issuing a new threat or proclamation without having any evidence to back him up but his supporters are blindly compliant that they would follow him simply because he comes across as a figure with authority. Blindly following someone who claims to be an authoritarian is like being friends with someone in kindergarten just because they like the same color that you do; it might subconsciously make sense but the moment that you start to actively think about it your entire world starts to crumble around you.

Rating: See It

-Jonny G