Experimenter

Experimenter

Illusion sets the stage. Deception reveals the truth.

PG-13 2015 · 97 min · ★ 6.5 · Drama, History

Yale University, 1961. Stanley Milgram designs a psychology experiment that still resonates to this day, in which people think they’re delivering painful electric shocks to an affable stranger strapped into a chair in another room. Despite his pleads for mercy, the majority of subjects don’t stop the experiment, administering what they think is a near-fatal electric shock, simply because they’ve been told to do so. With Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s trial airing in living rooms across America, Milgram strikes a nerve in popular culture and the scientific community with his exploration into people’s tendency to comply with authority. Celebrated in some circles, he is also accused of being a deceptive, manipulative monster, but his wife Sasha stands by him through it all.

Directed by Michael Almereyda · Written by Michael Almereyda

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Rent or Buy

Cast

Peter Sarsgaard Stanley Milgram
Winona Ryder Alexandra "Sasha" Milgram
Jim Gaffigan James McDonough
Edoardo Ballerini Paul Hollander
John Palladino John Williams
Kellan Lutz William Shatner
Dennis Haysbert Ossie Davis
Danny A. Abeckaser Braverman
Taryn Manning Mrs. Lowe
Anthony Edwards Miller
Lori Singer Florence Asch
Josh Hamilton Tom Shannon

Make it a double feature

3h 16m together

Experimenter

Marjorie Prime

Both from Michael Almereyda.

More from Michael AlmereydaSee all →

Deadwood

Deadwood · 2004

SeriesWesternCrime

The story of the early days of Deadwood, South Dakota; woven around actual historic events with most of the main characters based on real people. Deadwood starts as a gold mining camp and gradually turns from a lawless wild-west community into an organized wild-west civilized town. The story focuses on the real-life characters Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen.

Until the End of the World

Until the End of the World · 1991

Until the End of the World

MovieDramaScience Fiction

In 1999, a woman's life is forever changed after she survives a car crash with two bank robbers, who enlist her help to take the money to a drop in Paris. On the way, she runs into another fugitive from the law — an American doctor on the run from the CIA. They want to confiscate his father's invention – a device which allows anyone to record their dreams and visions.

John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office

John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office · 2025

John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office

MovieDocumentary

The daring experimenter Dr. John C. Lilly dedicated his life to radical self-investigation and unlocking the mysteries of consciousness and communication. “My body is my laboratory” was the motto, and his research on the language of dolphins and whales – as well as psychedelics and sensory deprivation – assured his own cult status in 20th-century pop culture as the basis for Ken Russel’s Altered States and Mike Nichols’s The Day of the Dolphin. Directors Michael Almareyda and Courtney Stephens, along with narrator Chloë Sevigny, explore the life of a determined scientist and his experiments into the psychonautical unknown.

The Rocking Horse Winner

The Rocking Horse Winner · 1997

The Rocking Horse Winner

A gambler comes to live with his sister and discovers his young nephew can predict the winner of horse races by riding on his rocking horse.

Another Girl Another Planet

Another Girl Another Planet · 1992

Another Girl Another Planet

MovieComedyDrama

Men and women search for intimacy and meaning in their lives.

Marjorie Prime

Marjorie Prime · 2017

MovieDramaMystery

A service which creates holographic projections of late family members allows an elderly woman to spend time with a younger version of her deceased husband.

Cherry 2000

Cherry 2000 · 1987

MovieActionAdventure

When successful businessman Sam Treadwell finds that his android wife, Cherry model 2000 has blown a fuse, he hires sexy renegade tracker E. Johnson to find her exact duplicate. But as their journey to replace his perfect mate leads them into the treacherous and lawless region of 'The Zone', Treadwell learns the hard way that the perfect woman is made not of computer chips and diodes.

Hamlet

MovieDramaThriller

Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder in New York City.

At Sundance

At Sundance · 1995

MovieDocumentary

A group portrait of filmmakers attend the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Featuring Matthew Harrison, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes, Greg Araki, Abel Ferrara, Atom Egoyan, James Gray, Robert Redford, Haskell Wexler, among many others. Co-directed by Amy Hobby. [Filmed in Pixelvision and blown-up to evocatively grainy 16mm.]

Escapes

Escapes · 2017

MovieDocumentary

Escapes blazes a path through mid-20th-century Hollywood via the experiences of Hampton Fancher – flamenco dancer, actor, and the unlikely producer and screenwriter of the landmark sci-fi classic Blade Runner. Fancher recounts episodes from his life — romantic misadventures with silver-screen stars, wayward acts of chivalry, jealousy, and friendship — matched with a parallel world of film and TV footage wherein Fancher plays cowboys, killers, fops, cads, and the occasional hero. Escapes shows how one man’s personal journey can unexpectedly shape a medium’s future.

Tesla

MovieHistoryDrama

The story of the Promethean struggles of Nikola Tesla, as he attempts to transcend entrenched technology—including his own previous work—by pioneering a system of wireless energy that would change the world.

Nadja

MovieHorrorThriller

In a contemporary New York City, members of a dysfunctional family of vampires are trying to come to terms with each other, in the wake of their father's death. Meanwhile, they are being hunted by Dr. Van Helsing and his hapless nephew. As in all good vampire movies, forces of love are pitted against forces of destruction.

Twister

Twister · 1989

MovieDramaComedy

An oddball family on a Kansas farm are trapped in their farmhouse by an impending storm. The patriarch of the clan is a retired soda pop tycoon. He is currently dating a children's TV evangelist. Also living at the farm is his layabout daughter and her precocious 8 year old daughter, his would-be artist son, the son's fiancée, and the black maid. Also thrown into the mix is the daughter's ex-husband, a ne-er-do-well who is seeking to get back in his ex-wife's good graces.

This So-Called Disaster

This So-Called Disaster · 2003

This So-Called Disaster

MovieDocumentary

Director Michael Almereyda's documentary on the weeks just prior to Sam Shepard's stage production of his play "The Late Henry Moss."

Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy · 1995

Search and Destroy

MovieActionComedy

A self-help guru's televised teachings inspire a down-and-out businessman to pursue his dream of making a movie.

The Eternal

The Eternal · 1998

MovieHorrorMystery

An alcoholic American couple travel to Ireland with their son so he can meet his grandmother but they walk in on their crazed uncle who is in the midst of reviving a centuries-old Druid witch.

More Like This

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story · 2009

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.

Lady Sings the Blues

Lady Sings the Blues · 1972

Lady Sings the Blues

MovieDramaMusic

Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.

Mary Kom

Mary Kom · 2014

MovieActionDrama

A chronicle of the life of Indian boxer 'Mary Kom' who went through several hardships before audaciously accomplishing her ultimate dream.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle · 1994

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle

Dorothy Parker remembers the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of friends whose barbed wit, like hers, was fueled by alcohol and flirted with despair.

Glen or Glenda

Glen or Glenda · 1953

Glen doesn't dare tell his fiancée Barbara that he is a transvestite known as Glenda; in addition, Alan is undergoing medical treatment to become a woman named Anne; both stories are told by a psychiatrist.

The Buddy Holly Story

The Buddy Holly Story · 1978

The Buddy Holly Story

MovieDramaMusic

A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly, who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself · 2003

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself

MovieDramaHistory

In 1914, the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa invites studios to shoot his actual battles against Porfírio Diaz army to raise funds for financing guns and ammunition. The Mutual Film Corporation, through producer D.W. Griffith, interests for the proposition and sends the filmmaker Frank Thayer to negotiate a contract with Pancho Villa himself.

Barabbas

Barabbas · 1961

MovieHistoryDrama

Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was pardoned for his crimes and spared crucifixion when Pilate offered the Israelites a choice to pardon Barabbas or Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.

In the Heights

In the Heights · 2021

MovieDramaRomance

The story of Usnavi, a bodega owner who has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic or staying in Washington Heights.

Paterno

Paterno · 2018

MovieDramaTV Movie

After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno is embroiled in Penn State's Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure regarding the victims.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The Gospel According to St. Matthew · 1965

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Along a rocky, barren coastline, Jesus begins teaching, primarily using parables. He attracts disciples; he's stern, brusque, and demanding. His parables often take on the powers that be, so he and his teachings come to the attention of the Pharisees, the chief priests, and elders. They conspire to have him arrested, beaten, tried, and crucified, just as he prophesied to his followers.

The Catcher Was a Spy

The Catcher Was a Spy · 2018

The Catcher Was a Spy

Former major league baseball player Moe Berg lives a double life working for the Office of Strategic Services in World War II Europe.

More on Prime VideoSee all →

The Last Sunrise

The Last Sunrise · 2026

The Last Sunrise

MovieRomanceDrama

Ry, a college student with a chronic illness, escapes to Mallorca for the summer with her mother, where she unexpectedly falls for a local and begins to embrace living in the moment. But as her condition worsens and long-hidden family secrets come to light, everything she has found before summer's end is threatened.

War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds · 2025

War of the Worlds

MovieScience FictionThriller

Will Radford is a top analyst for Homeland Security who tracks potential threats through a mass surveillance program, until one day an attack by an unknown entity leads him to question whether the government is hiding something from him... and from the rest of the world.

Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe · 2026

Masters of the Universe

MovieActionFantasy

After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela and Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.

The Sheep Detectives

The Sheep Detectives · 2026

The Sheep Detectives

MovieComedyFamily

George Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can't possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.

Barreda

Barreda · 2026

MovieDramaCrime

A fictionalized drama film based on one of the most shocking crimes in Argentina's history. In 1992, Ricardo Barreda was an unassuming dentist, brutally murdered his wife, mother-in-law, and two adult daughters in their family home. Branding himself as a victim, Ricardo Barreda ignited a media storm and fueled a national scandal.

The Devil's Mouth

The Devil's Mouth · 2026

The Devil's Mouth

MovieHorrorThriller

A group of college friends' Thailand adventure turns deadly when they become trapped in submerged caves with a dangerous predator. As oxygen runs low, past conflicts emerge in their desperate fight for survival.

The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew · 2026

The Wrecking Crew

MovieActionComedy

Estranged half-brothers Jonny and James reunite after their father's mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.

My Fault

My Fault · 2023

MovieDramaRomance

Noah must leave her city, boyfriend, and friends to move into William Leister's mansion, the flashy and wealthy husband of her mother Rafaela. As a proud and independent 17 year old, Noah resists living in a mansion surrounded by luxury. However, it is there where she meets Nick, her new stepbrother, and the clash of their strong personalities becomes evident from the very beginning.

Crime 101

Crime 101 · 2026

MovieCrimeThriller

When an elusive thief whose high-stakes heists unfold along the iconic 101 freeway in Los Angeles eyes the score of a lifetime, with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker who is facing her own crossroads. Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher.

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War · 2026

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War

MovieActionThriller

Jack Ryan is reluctantly pulled back into espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy. Racing against time, he joins CIA allies Mike November & James Greer and sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe to battle a rogue black-ops unit in a high-stakes, deeply personal fight.

Blade Runner

Blade Runner · 1982

MovieScience FictionDrama

In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.

Red One

Red One · 2024

MovieActionAdventure

After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

Vengeance

Vengeance · 2026

MovieActionThriller

The brutal murder of the wife of “Toro,” a military hero in the special forces, turns him into a man with a single purpose: revenge. After a stroke of fate makes him a millionaire, Carlos transforms his fortune into an arsenal and, together with his closest soldiers, sets out to hunt down those responsible.

Road House

Road House · 2024

MovieActionThriller

Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

Beast Race

Beast Race · 2026

MovieActionScience Fiction

In future Rio de Janeiro, a young leader of the resistance must enter a deadly parkour-inspired competition in order to save his sister's life.

Our Fault

Our Fault · 2025

MovieRomanceDrama

Jenna and Lion's wedding brings about the long-awaited reunion between Noah and Nick after their breakup. Nick's inability to forgive Noah stands as an insurmountable barrier. He, heir to his grandfather's businesses, and she, starting her professional life, resist fueling a flame that's still alive. But now that their paths have crossed again, will love be stronger than resentment?

Jurassic World

Jurassic World · 2015

MovieAdventureScience Fiction

Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond.

Pretty Lethal

Pretty Lethal · 2026

MovieActionThriller

A troupe of ballerinas find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.

Over Your Dead Body

Over Your Dead Body · 2026

Over Your Dead Body

MovieActionComedy

A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to "reconnect", but each has secret intentions to kill the other.

Your Fault

Your Fault · 2024

MovieDramaRomance

The love between Noah and Nick seems unwavering despite their parents' attempts to separate them. But his job and her entry into college open up their lives to new relationships that will shake the foundations of both their relationship and the Leister family itself.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter