Director: Craig Zobel
Talent: Dreama Walker, Ann Dowd, Pat Healy, Bill Camp, Philip Ettinger, James McCaffrey
Release Date: March 22nd 2013
On a hectic night at a fast-food franchise, the local manager receives a phone call from a man identifying himself as Officer Daniels. What ensues is a chilling exposition of our willingness to obey authority blindly and faithfully. Inspired by true events, Compliance is an unsettling psychological thriller that tries to understand patterns of human behaviour and seeks to expose the moral failure that results from following orders unquestioningly. This is not a new idea but it is neatly executed. Set against the bustle of a busy workday, the horror that unfolds in the bleak storeroom where our protagonist is confined is all the more unhurried and haunting. Zobel implicates the viewer; we are rendered complicit in the abuse and left disgusted by our passivity. The compelling narrative, Dowd’s powerful performance, and the minimal but foreboding cello-driven score help distract from the predictability of the plot and lend the film a disturbing intensity.
