The Experiment (2025)

In a bold continuation of the psychological thriller originally released in 2010, The Experiment (2025) revives the infamous Stanford-inspired prison study — but this time, with a modern twist and darker consequences. Directed by an up-and-coming filmmaker, the sequel doesn't just aim to replicate the original’s shocking descent into chaos — it escalates it, raising urgent questions about control, obedience, and digital surveillance.

The film picks up fifteen years after the original experiment was shut down. A mysterious tech conglomerate funds a new version, claiming it to be a controlled academic simulation. Participants are recruited from various backgrounds — ex-military, teachers, gig workers — and are promised full transparency, ethical oversight, and state-of-the-art safety protocols.

But predictably, order begins to unravel.

This time, the prison is fully digitized. AI monitors emotions. Real-time social media polls allow viewers to influence certain events. And worse, the guards are fed performance-enhancing stimulants and propaganda via subliminal screens. What begins as a monitored experiment quickly devolves into a gladiatorial nightmare.

The standout performance comes from lead actor Malik Jamison, who portrays a former sociology professor forced into a guard role after being blackmailed by the tech company. His slow moral erosion is gripping and tragic. Opposite him, actress Liu Wen brings haunting vulnerability as a prisoner caught between resistance and survival.

Director Sofia Almirón chooses a cold, sterile aesthetic that mirrors the chilling detachment of a society that watches cruelty unfold for entertainment — echoing Black Mirror and The Hunger Games. The film critiques our collective desensitization to suffering and the illusion of progress through technology.

While some critics argue that the film’s ending — a violent prison riot live-streamed globally — borders on melodrama, others hail it as a timely warning. Are we truly more ethical than we were decades ago, or have we simply digitized our brutality?

The Experiment (2025) is not an easy watch, nor is it meant to be. It’s a disturbingly plausible vision of the near future — and a reminder that the darkest experiments are the ones we’re willing to witness from the safety of a screen.

Rating: 4/5 stars