Craig Zobel Archives - Critic Speak

Dreama Walker stars in Craig Zobel's "Compliance," a highlight of the 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival, says our critic.

Notes from the 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival

Eric Beltmann / October 18, 2012

“Good luck,” warned Jack Turner as he introduced “Compliance,” Craig Zobel’s squirmy new film, to a sold-out crowd at the Downer Theatre. Turner, a producer working on Zobel’s next project, reminded filmgoers at the Milwaukee Film Festival that “Compliance” provoked walkouts and charges of misanthropy at Sundance. Nervous energy rippled through the rows, but the […]

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Review: “Compliance”

“Compliance” is an intentionally maddening, excruciatingly tense thriller that posits a notion I can’t totally agree with. Its story, which sees the morality of ordinary, law-abiding citizens wither under the instruction of a purported authority figure, suggests that nearly anyone is susceptible to following vile, outrageous orders if only they’re told to. Certainly, this is