Written and directed by Craig Zobel,
Compliance premiered
twelve months ago at the Sundance Film Festival. When a prank caller
claiming to be a police officer convinces Sandra (Ann Dowd), a location
manager at a fast food chain, that one of her register staff, Becky
(Dreama Walker), has stolen money from a customer that evening; she
complies with the caller’s requests without question (no matter how
unlike protocol and inappropriate). Sandra is initially manipulated into
keeping Becky under supervision in the back of the store, confiscating
her possessions and ordering a strip search, but as Sandra enlists
different supervisors, including her partner Van (Bill Camp), the
procedure takes increasingly sinister turns.
What transpires in this film is inspired by true cases – and as the
shocking stat reveal at the conclusion claims, not just one – meaning
that this film can’t be ignored. Zobel, by bringing these baffling
events to the screen, creates a confronting and fascinating experience.
He builds a claustrophobic location and mounts tension with some
inventive direction. If you know this prior to watching the film then I
think it is easier to accept the actions of the characters. If you
don’t, then it is very difficult to believe that these events took place
and it is even hard to sympathise with the victims. This was my
problem.
When I was watching
Compliance I
had to resist the urge to stop it. I got a sense of what was coming and
feared for Becky. This is an extremely unsettling expose about our
perception of authoritative hierarchy and how one can lose sight of
their morals when their role is required to exceed their jurisdiction.
Against better judgment, how far do you accept the orders of a perceived
higher authority? With such a distressing moral dilemma at the core,
Compliance has
haunted audiences and if you have ever worked in customer service, will
leave you wondering how you would handle such a situation. I feel I
must warn you that this film is far from entertaining and will likely
leave you squirming in your seat, and create a sick feeling in the pit
of your stomach.
Nice review. It's a one-and-a-half hour of stress. Maybe it will leave the viewers very unpleasant, but for me that's the entertainment point of Compliance.
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