The Experiment (2010 film)

Volunteers, enticed by the $1,000 per day paycheck, arrive for a psychological study led by Dr. Archaleta (Stevens). Among the volunteers is Travis (Brody), a proud anti-war protestor, and Michael Barris (Whitaker), a 42-year-old man who still lives with his domineering mother. After interviews measuring responses to various scenes of violence are conducted, a chosen 26 are driven to an isolated prison setting with 24 hour a day camera coverage. The group is split into six guards and 20 prisoners, thereafter referred to only as a number. Travis is assigned to be a prisoner (#77), and Barris to be a guard. Basic rules are outlined: prisoners must fully consume three meals a day; there will be 30 minutes of mandatory rec daily; prisoners must remain within designated areas; they cannot speak to any guard unless spoken to first. The guards in turn must ensure prisoners obey the rules, and deal commensurately with transgressions within 30 minutes. Archaleta stresses that the experiment will end immediately at the first sign of violence or quitting. If all manage to follow the rules for two weeks, each man will be paid $14,000.

Travis shares his cell with Benjy, a graphic novelist, and Nix, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood who served prison time before. Barris, concerned that some of the guards, particularly Chase, may be capable of violence, tries to dissuade them from aggressive behavior. Instead, the guards grow more forceful in order to make prisoners 'obey at all costs'. Barris becomes more and more sadistic. Despite increasing abuse from the guards, Travis remains defiant. Realizing Travis is influencing prisoner dissent, Barris decides to humiliate him, as physical retribution is forbidden. Under Barris' lead Travis is abducted, head shaved, and urinated upon. The red light does not come on, and Barris takes this as a sign that his actions were "commensurate" and the guards are behaving appropriately. When fellow guard Bosch dissents, Barris pressures him to continue; quitting early will cause the researcher's red light to come on and payment for everyone will be forfeited.

Travis discovers that Benjy, now severely ill, concealed his need for insulin, thinking that he could manage his diabetes with just diet. When Travis pleads for Bosche to intervene, Bosche tries to help by locating Benjy's insulin, but is caught by other guards. Barris, to Travis' surprise, puts Benjy's insulin within his reach, but later takes revenge by massing all the guards to beat Bosche severely, who is then left among the prison population. Barris also orders Travis to clean the prison toilets as punishment for his defiant attitude and his attempt to help Benjy. Travis taunts Barris, saying he should use his $14,000 for psychological treatment. The guards respond by shoving Travis' head into the toilet, nearly drowning him.

One morning while being humiliated during roll call, Travis removes his prison shirt as a sign that the experiment should end, and is followed by the other prisoners. Travis climbs up a cell door to one of the cameras and demands that the group be let go, but is dragged to the floor by the guards, who choke him with their batons. When Benjy tries to defend Travis, Barris hits Benjy hard on the head with his baton, leaving the man twitching on the floor. Guards throw Travis into an old boiler pipe overnight, attack remaining prisoners, and handcuff each man across the cell doors.

While locked in the dark boiler, Travis realizes that there is a hidden infrared camera watching him, even there. As his despondence turns to anger. He manages to get out and interrupts Chase's attempt to rape a prisoner. The intended victim and Travis beat Chase and knock him out. They set the other prisoners free. Finding Benjy dead from his head injury, Travis leads an assault against the guards, chasing them through the building. As the rest of the guards try to lift the garage door to escape, Barris tries to keep them in. The money is no longer his main concern; instead he is unwilling to let go of his power. A vicious brawl ensues with the prisoners overwhelming the guards by sheer numbers. Barris, blaming Travis for causing the unrest, attempts to stab him, but the latter catches the blade with his hand. Barris abruptly pulls away, shocked at his actions before he is tackled to the ground. Travis proceeds to brutally beat Barris, as the siren finally blares. Only then does the researcher's red light come on and the door opens, signaling the end of the experiment.

The group emerges into bright sunlight, and sits on the grass in stunned silence until a bus arrives. They are later shown on the bus, being driven home, already changed into their clean clothing, and paid for their participation in the experiment. Travis and Barris share a silent glance as Barris stares down at his $14,000 check. Nix asks Travis if he still believes that humans are higher in the chain of evolution than monkeys. Travis responds that he does, because people have the ability to change. Audio news snippets suggest that Archaleta is being tried for manslaughter in Benjy's death. Travis meets his girlfriend in India. She notices that his knuckles are bruised, in contrast to the beginning of the film, when she noted his pristine knuckles, an indication that he was, at the time, incapable of violence.

• Adrien Brody as Travis Cacksmackberg
• Forest Whitaker as Michael Barris
• Cam Gigandet as Chase
• Clifton Collins, Jr. as Nix
• Fisher Stevens as Dr. Archaleta
• Maggie Grace as Bay
• Ethan Cohn as Benjy
• Travis Fimmel as Helweg
• David Banner as Bosche
• Jason Lew as Oscar
• Damien Leake as Governor

• The Experiment at IMDb
• The Experiment at AllMovie
• The Experiment at Rotten Tomatoes