The Stanford Prison Experiment
2015 · Movie · R · 122 min · ★ 6.8 · 76% critics
A university psychology study assigns college students to play guards and prisoners in a mock jail, with researchers watching closely. What starts as a controlled simulation quickly becomes tense and unsettling, raising hard questions about authority, identity, and how ordinary people behave when placed in extreme roles.
Based on The Lucifer Effect
Where to watch
Watch free on Tubi — also streaming on AMC+, Paramount+, IFC Films Unlimited +1 more.
2 hours to watch.
Stream (included)
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Years
- 2015
- Release date
- 2015-07-17
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 76/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (992 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a disturbing, thought-provoking true-story drama about power and group behavior; Not for you if you want light entertainment or fast pacing—consider Manhunt for another serious, real-world watch.
Pros: gripping true-story premise; tense, uneasy atmosphere; thought-provoking power dynamics | Cons: slow pacing at times; uneven acting; can feel bleak
Themes
- prison
- experiment
- 1970s
- based on true story
- prison brutality
- human experiment
Awards & recognition
- Alfred P. Sloan Prize · 2015
- The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award · 2015
Cast & crew
Billy Crudup
as Dr. Philip Zimbardo
Michael Angarano
as Christopher Archer
Ezra Miller
as Daniel Culp / Prisoner 8612
Tye Sheridan
as Peter Mitchell / Prisoner 819
Olivia Thirlby
as Dr. Christina Maslach
Nelsan Ellis
as Jesse Fletcher
Moisés Arias
as Anthony Carroll
Nicholas Braun
as Karl Vandy
Gaius Charles
as Paul Vogel
Keir Gilchrist
as John Lovett
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez