Review of Compliance (2012) by Hatem A — 12 Sep 2013

3.5/4.0.

This hidden gem is one of the most tense (and at times scary) movies I have seen in a long time. This is an excellent depiction of the extent to which a person may go to obey an authority figure.

Inspired by horrific real events, it centers on Sandra (Ann Dowd), a fast-food restaurant manager who gets a prank call from a guy pretending to be a police officer claiming that one of her female employees, Becky (Dreama Walker), has stolen money from a client. Becky is taken to the back room and Sandra starts to follow the instructions of the caller to the word, leading to horrific consequences.

Writer-director Craig Zobel creates a powerfully eerie atmosphere out of these events involving average, simple characters. The uncertainty of what the caller will instruct and the extent to which the characters at the other side of the handset are willing to comply helps in creating a very uneasy feeling for viewers (I mean this in a good way, of course). Walker is great as the victim but it's Dowd who is a revelation as the manager who just wants to follow rules. Minor quibble is that we shouldn't have seen the prank caller - it would have been more effective but that is a small flaw in an otherwise excellent, low-budget thriller.