Compliance
Tags: psychological

Plot synopsis:
Sandra, a manager of a fast food restaurant in the ChickWich chain, receives a phone call from someone identifying himself as Officer Daniels: he claims to be in contact with the regional manager about a customer whose purse was allegedly robbed by an employee that day. Daniels claims that he is searching the suspect's residence, but will remain on the phone while Sandra detains and searches the employee until the police can arrive. Sandra identifies Becky as the possible culprit based on the caller’s description, and the caller confirms this is the name he was given.
Becky denies the theft and, at the behest of the officer, enters the restaurant office where the front counter closed-circuit camera monitors and the camera for the office are located. Another employee is brought into the office. The caller then directs that Becky's clothing pockets and purse be searched; nothing is found. Sandra is asked to strip-search Becky, being told that the alternative would be Becky going to jail while her home was searched. While Sandra is out of the room, Daniels fishes for information about her, which he can use in his directing of the investigation at the restaurant.
On Sandra's return the caller implies that searching of Becky's home is based on suspicion that her brother is involved in drugs, that Becky is possibly involved and the strip search is crucial. Eventually all of Becky's clothing is removed. Nothing is found; she is given an apron to cover herself. Sandra is told to put the clothing into a bag and take it to her car for later inspection by the police since sometimes they have imperceptible pockets, and traces of marijuana could be found on the clothing.
Sandra insists she must resume managing the restaurant as it is busy, so Daniels directs that a male employee for "security reasons" stay. Kevin is brought in, and after instructions from Daniels seriously questions the caller's motives and leaves the room. Eventually Sandra's fiancé Van keeps watch and he also starts to question what is asked of him until Daniels pressures him with some implied action, since he has had a few beers before driving to the restaurant. Under further orders, Becky removes the apron and performs jumping jacks nude before Van under the pretense that contraband may be concealed in her body. Becky protests the treatment and Daniels directs Van to spank her for being disrespectful. Eventually, Becky is coerced into performing oral sex on Van. Van leaves with guilt and is replaced by the custodian, Harold, who is not fooled and becomes outraged by Daniels' requests. Harold heads out to tell Sandra about Daniels' orders, and she finally calls the regional manager to find that he has been home ill all day and has no idea about an investigation.
The police escort Becky off-site and investigate the incident, finding that a similar incident had happened elsewhere. Eventually, Daniels is identified by closed circuit recordings and is apprehended while at work; he is a family man working as a telemarketer. Becky meets with an attorney to sort out the best route for a lawsuit. Sandra then is found to be unemployed and no longer seeing Van; when interviewed by a journalist, Sandra is advised by her accompanying attorney not to answer certain questions put to her.

Review: After receiving a phone call claiming that one of her employees has stolen money from a customer, manager Sandra takes Becky into the back room, interrogates her, strip searches her and humiliates her, all because the voice on the other end of the phone claims to be a police officer.This film had the same affect on me as the film Blindness did.
One would like to be able to say "No one could be so stupid" but the fact that this type of event (involving, reportedly, even more degrading assaultive behavior than portrayed in this film) has happened repeatedly in this country (over 70, according to the closing credits) shows that wish to be untrue.
Sadly, this was based on a true story, which makes me want to tear my hair out at the sheepish state of American society and how so many people could be so readily manipulated and to such destructive ends.
Compliance (2012) *** (out of 4) Based on a true story about a fast food manager (Ann Dowd) who receives a phone call from a police officer saying that one of the employees (Dreama Walker) has stolen some money from a customer.
A frazzled fast-food manager working on a busy evening with a short shift of workers (and short on supplies like bacon), gets a phone call from a police officer asking about the young, blonde cashier on the front line of the restaurant who has apparently been accused of taking money out of a customer's purse.
Calling her into the office, Becky, is confused and bewildered by the accusations; but as the manager Sandra (Ann Dowd – Garden State, Marley & Me, Bachelorette) HAS a police officer on the phone she does not want to appear to believe her own employee over the cop.
Today I Googled "what is the film compliance based on" and found another movies web site that shows the actual CCTV footage of the real life event along with clips of interviews with the victim and the manager.
It doesn't mean I liked or enjoyed the movie, those are entirely different things, but I do respect it as the quality dramatic thriller that it is.The story is based on true events in which a prank call leads to the manipulated sexual harassment (and more) of an employee at a fast food restaurant in a small town.
The prank caller (Pat Healy) pretends to be a police officer and convinces the manager of a ChickWich chain restaurant (Ann Dowd) that one of her employees (Dreama Walker) has stolen money from a customer's purse.
It's based on a series of nearly 60 similar crimes around the US (believed to be perpetrated by the same individual), most specifically the McDonald's case in Bullitt County.The movie is extremely shocking and at times the actions of the characters seem too unbelievable to be true, but they are, which makes the movie all that harder to watch.
Like I said it's definitely a hard film to watch and since it does do it's job right it should leave you feeling sad and disgusted.
My first thought was "How in the hell do they know that he is a cop?" and the second question that I kept asking myself was "Why not just say no to the cop?" We all know that cops aren't perfect and some have some sick and unethical behaviors and although we fear them to a point, we gotta use common sense when it comes to ethical situations like this.I was amazed that this movie was based on true events.
In an attempt to present a true occurrence, Writer/Director Craig Zobel brings his sophomore effort, Compliance starring Ann Dowd (The Informant, Garden State) and Dreama Walker (TV's Don't Trust the B*** in Apt. 23).The film tells the story of Sandra (Dowd), a manager of a fast-food restaurant that receives a phone call from a man claiming to be a police officer that claims one of her employees Becky (Walker), stole money from a customer's purse.
If it weren't based on a true story, Compliance would leave the viewer utterly baffled and confused at how completely clueless and simple minded some people in authority can be.
Probably a fear of losing her job (she's told the district manager is on the other line, plus the freezer incident), a fear of losing control of the restaurant (it's packed), a fear of seeming inept."Sandra, I didn't steal anything, you know I wouldn't!" "I know, honey, but we have to do what the disembodied voice says..." Paraphrasing is fun.At any rate, since this did happen in real life, I had to try to see beyond how obscenely dumb people behaved in the movie and allow the actors and director to sell the plot.
While many of you think that you would not be so dumb and that you would act differently in the situation, you really have NO IDEA what would happen.This is a true story, and I've looked up the actual events that this movie is based on and it pretty much nails it.
Based on actual events, "Compliance" is set at a fast-food restaurant at a normal work day, where the manager gets a call from a man who presents himself as a police officer, who called to let her know that one of her employees has committed a crime.
Don't think of "Compliance" as an entertaining movie, because this is a serious and realistic vision of a crime that has occurred in almost all of the U.S., and we are left just shouting at the screen, and later becoming affected after watching the events portrayed in the film.
Ann Dowd is terrific as the engaged fast-food manager, Dreama Walker is wonderful as the employee who's falsely accused of committing a crime, and Pat Healy delivers the stand-out performance as the caller, disguised as a police officer.
It was crazy to watch and it honestly prevented me from ever getting into this movie and feel for its main characters.And yes, of course I realize all of this truly happened so I also therefore don't call it unrealistic but that doesn't take away anything from the fact that this movie still felt like such a stupid one.
The subject of drugs is so popular that the film doesn't really come across as refreshing, though it is, in my opinion, a perfect film.Compliance is disturbing because, while is is based on real events can happen to people like Requiem, Compliance manages to be much more refreshing because the kind of story Compliance has is a lot less popular, I honestly never would have imagined that this situation would occur, but the fact that the events DID occur is so shocking.
No matter how ridiculous the demands will be, as long as the supposed authoritarian figure can justify these actions, then humans will comply.Personally, I've been desensitized to a lot of disturbing content in films, and I will admit that while Compliance didn't make me feel uncomfortable, it will definitely make others feel uncomfortable, and I did still find this movie quite disturbing because of it's realism.I have to be honest.
It becomes more of a deeply unsettling study of people's passivity and unwillingness to challenge the dubious than much in the way of standing up to stone cold 'authority', but it is no less of a thoroughly uneasy but utterly compelling film that uses the minutes slowly, coldly ticking by to excellent effect.The drained out colour and unglamourous settings set the perfect tone for the real life effect intended, making everything seem as uncomfortably real as it was meant to be.
As unbelievable as it seems, this news report verifies the most outlandish scenes in the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqUm-Zk3_WsThe film has been praised by David Denby at the New Yorker and hailed by many others as an important look at human gullibility and obedience to authority.My thoughts: 1.
In writer/director Craig Zobel's film the lives of the employees of one fast food restaurant get turned upside down when a phone caller claiming to be a police detective demands that the manager guard and search a young, female employee who he says is suspected of stealing money from a customer.
Over seventy cases in thirty different U.S. states were reported of a prank phone caller portraying a police officer, offering the same sort of story, requesting the suspect be strip-searched and forced to perform a number of indecent, inhumane acts that gradually become more humanly loathsome.
Sandra herself, overwhelmed by the busyness of the restaurant (the fictional fast food chain "ChickWich"), winds up getting more and more of her employees involved including the trustworthy Marty (Ashlie Atkinson), the loudmouth Kevin (Phillip Ettinger), and even her slightly inebriated fiancée Van (Bill Camp), making her somewhat more than a victim.Yet, before you immediately write the characters off as "stupid" and view them as faceless teenagers mirroring those in a horror movie, where every decision is questionable, what would you do?
All these stories seem far away, and involving "not our kind of people".The film ends with a few interviews taken from some of the participants, part of the broader investigation into 70 similar events spread over 30 different states.
I think that is precisely the strongest feature of this film.Being someone working in the field of information security, I wonder whether a movie like this can serve a useful purpose to educate people on social engineering, which is becoming more and more of a problem with many corporations.
For the viewer however this movie was as boring and ridiculous as it gets, don't waste your time.Conclusion: When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no-one is left unharmed.
Based on true events.If you've read that you won't need to see the movie, leave the rest to your imagination and go watch something else..
The director explained that the events portrayed in the movie were based on no less than 70 incidents of prank calls, nation-wide, that caused fast food restaurant managers to question, and horribly violate, innocent workers.
The movie is based on a true story of a prank caller pretending to be a police officer who convinces a female fast food restaurant manager to interrogate a young female employee who he states committed theft.
It leaves you wanting to pull out your hair or gouge out your own eyeballs in disgust by the unrealistic behavior of the characters in this story.If you like movies about dumb-ass simpletons too stupid to ask even the simplest questions of authority after being given every obvious reason for hours on end; if you enjoy wasting your life as I have just done, then this is for you!If there was a vote less than 1, I'd be selecting it.NOT-RECOMMEND!.
I give it 2 stars because it was filmed well and the acting was good...unfortunately this was wasted on a pathetic story about stupid people being too stupid to not suck at some very basic things in life..
Very well executed movie, good actors and a good plot (said to be based on true events) - which is almost beyond belief, as the story relies on people acting in unbelievably idiotic ways just because a figure of authority tells them to.
When main role was invite to office because of police call I was expect it will be movie about girl stealing she's customers, but after a couple of minutes I doubted that caller is a prank, because police doesn't talk that way.I mean, this was shock to realize that the manager of the fast food restaurant didn't get it that the caller was prank, and this is based on true events.
Even idiot would figured it out, but I guess it's all stress on the job so people cant think straight anymore.To me, movie was disturbing and realistic and it's hard to accept its based on true events because in my country I cant imagine somebody to be tricked this way.
The acting was decent, but the characters have to be at least a little retarded to go along with what was happening.Just goes to show you that there are actually people in the world that will believe anything they are told, as long as it's said with the tone of authority.
The film chronicles the very true story of a young woman who while at work is detained by her boss Sandra because of a phone call she gets from a supposed cop named Officer Daniels saying that the employee "Becky" stole something from a customers bag.
To my opinion, the only thing truly scary about this movie is the thought that it was based on true events which means that people THIS moronic DO exist in real life AND they're all around, and the only mystery that remains after watching these 15min is is how come these so poorly brain equipped individuals have managed to survive until they reached adulthood.If you wanna see some entertaining movie about stupidity try Idiocrazy which at least will leave you with some laughs and at least one thought to reflect upon..
The plot may be based on a true story, but it was impossible to believe that the characters in this film would take orders from a prank caller for as long as they did.
The restaurant manager then follows the incredible orders of "Officer" Daniels, leading to the utter humiliation and degradation of the young woman who is the "suspect." No one who has watched five minutes of a TV police show or movie would believe the caller.
I realise that psychological experiments have been made in the past on the subject of obeying authority with some shocking results but this story is just insanely hard to believe.The film will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time and definitely provoke a strong reaction.
A lot of people brush the story off, saying the characters are incredibly stupid, but the truth is it reminds us of how vulnerable we all really are to deception and coercion - there are manipulator out there much more skilled then this movie's villain.I personally was reminded of my own painful contact with small time criminals and sense of paranoia and self-doubt that followed me around after it - I couldn't relax and feel that I can trust myself for some time.
More importantly if you've ever experienced a work environment where immediate Managers and Supervisors (are hired and promoted) to "Stepford-esquely" keep the Ball rolling up the Hill (as opposed to) possessing any form of *Common Sense* (which is a lot more rampant than one may think)...you get this!The best thing I can say about this Film, is that it is disturbing, compelling and thought provoking if you DO NOT know it's based on real events and even more so, if YOU DO..
Compliance starts with the title card "based on true events" and after doing some research into the actual events the film was based on it seems the reality of the situation may have been even more disturbing than those shown in the film.Compliance depicts an incident that occurred in a McDonalds in America where a man posing as a police officer phoned in and asked members of staff to perform increasingly humiliating acts upon a female employee who he informed them had been caught stealing.I'm of two minds about this film because for one I did not enjoy watching it and I don't think I can recommend it to anyone let alone watch it again.
But that aside and viewing it with a base knowledge of the Stanley Milgram experiments, I found it to be one of the most thought provoking movies I've seen in recent years and one which led to more conversation than I usually get from a film.If you're interested in seeing bad things happen to stupid people or looking to have a viscerally sick reaction to some very disturbing real life events this film is for you, if not, never watch this film..
He would then require a strip search of the girl because the police were too busy to conduct a minor search like that.In the film, restaurant manager Sandra (Anne Dowd) is called by a police officer who says he's sitting with someone who claims a young female employee stole money from her purse.
Zobel only manages to accomplish this in part, though it's no small task to be sure.Much of the film will leave you wondering how anyone could be so dumb as to not question the voice on the other end of the phone or not insist that the police actually show up and do the strip search themselves.
His obedience is a sickening mystery.The film's failure to help us understand these characters and their actions isn't entirely necessary to being intrigued by the movie as a whole, but it can be maddeningly frustrating as far as believing the events because you know they actually happened but you just don't get how or why.
There's no denying he tells the story in an absolutely compelling manner."Compliance" manages to be a captivating film on premise and story alone and if you're unfamiliar with the real-life strip-search prank calls like I was when I sat down to watch, that's definitely enough to enjoy it (though "enjoy" is really a regrettable word for this movie).
The opening of the film states that it is based on real events, this and the solid acting (especially the manager) made me feel uneasy during the whole movie.
It is absolutely a movie worth watching; it is just a disturbing and true story at the same time.
You will probably wonder to yourself how some of these people could be so stupid and gullible but the fact that it happened for real makes you realise the true horror at the centre of the film; the brainwashed masses who comply with any authority figure out of blind faith.