Compliance

How far would you go to obey a government figure?  For a fast-food manager that question is put to the test in director Craig Zebel's controversial true-story depiction Compliance.

On a day when they are expecting a secret shopper and a freezer malfunction leaves them low on bacon, store manager Sandra is scrambling to make things work.  But her day is put on immediate hold when a police officer calls accusing one of her employees, Becky, of stealing money out of a customer's purse.  Becky adamantly denies the allegation. but Sandra opts to comply with the officer's request to detain the suspect.  That choice leads both women down a road that will tragically blur the lines between obedience and reason.

I will be the first to admit that this film pissed the shit out of me.  I have never wanted to scream at a movie screen so bad as I was constantly shifting in my seat from discomfort.  If you want water cooler talk, Compliance is the film to give it to you!

Anna Dowd and Dreama Walker turn in fine performances as the store manager and accused respectively.  Together they create countless awkward moments that help keep you on the edge of your seat, painstakingly wondering just how far this whole ordeal is going to go.

There is a fine line between enjoying this film and throwing your soda at the screen for its negligence.  Director Craig Zebel teeters that line like a pro, giving us a unique and simple story that is sure to strike a nerve with just about everyone.