The Stanford Experiment Recreated on Netflix

In 1971, Stanford professor Philip Zimbardo divided a group of students into “guards” and “prisoners” for an experiment. Originally planned to last for two weeks, it was stopped on the sixth day: the “guards” began to exhibit sadistic behavior, while the “prisoners” were having psychological breakdowns. Netflix has now recreated this experiment as a six-part reality show, The New Stanford Prison Experiment. Thirty participants from diverse backgrounds—eight “guards” and twenty-two “prisoners”—spent two weeks in a real, though disused, prison block. All underwent psychological tests, and medics, psychologists, and professional prison guards were on duty nearby around the clock. Participants could leave at any moment simply by saying a code word.

Just as happened half a century ago, tensions escalated by the sixth day: two “prisoners” were locked in a cell for 23 hours a day for plotting against the guards. The producers introduced new stages and at one point swapped the most punished “prisoners” with the most domineering “guards.” One former guard could not handle the loss of power and left just a day later. But the finale turned out to be different: when the rules were lifted, comedian Mike Paramore persuaded everyone not to serve out their full term. On the thirteenth day, the “prisoners” walked out of the prison holding hands. The producers admitted they had not expected this outcome and now hope to film a second season, possibly with an all-female cast.

Mungiu’s “Fjord” Released in Cinemas

Cristian Mungiu’s film “Fjord,” which was awarded the Palme d’Or in May, has been released in Russia. This is the Romanian director’s second such prize, following his award for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.”

Mihai Gheorghiu, a Romanian, moves to a small Norwegian town with Lisbeth, his Norwegian wife, and their five children. The family is very religious and is welcomed with joy by the local evangelical community, but the idyll does not last long. A teacher notices a bruise on the eldest daughter’s arm and reports it to child services. Officials from the service interview the family, paying no attention to the fact that only the mother speaks Norwegian fluently. The father’s words that he might spank the children are enough for them to be taken away immediately and for a criminal case to be opened against the parents.

Mihai sees this as a case of Christian persecution and declares war on the state, ready to call on conservative forces from all over Europe for help. Mungiu does not take sides: he shows both the inflexibility of the officials and the father’s stubbornness, and asks where the state’s right to interfere in family life ends.

Horror Classics Find New Life in TV Series

This autumn, streaming services have released two new series based on classic works of horror: Carrie, based on the novel by Stephen King, on Prime Video, and Crystal Lake, a prequel to Friday the 13th, on Peacock. The main character of the latter is Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother, played by Linda Cardellini. In the original film, she is on screen for a mere ten minutes, but the new series shows how a loving mother who fled her past to settle in a small town becomes a killer. “We don’t see her and Jason as people before everything happened,” explains the show’s creator, Brad Kane.

The creators of these shows took a considerable risk, as they had to expand upon already finished stories and alter the established canon. However, as TheWrap reports, both series debuted to high ratings. The studios were counting on fans of the genre who rewatch the classics before Halloween: the familiar titles drew them in, and the new storylines kept them watching.

One-Minute Thrillers for TikTok

Hoorae Media, the company of actress and screenwriter Issa Rae, is producing vertical micro-series with episodes that are just one minute long. Its thriller “Screen Time,” about a double date that turns into a nightmare when an intruder hacks the television, has accumulated nearly 580 million views on TikTok and the PineDrama app. “My favorite comment is, ‘Who turned on Netflix in my TikTok?’” says Dzifa Yador, a Hoorae Media executive.

The company’s goal is to make such series a steady source of work for writers and actors at a time when film budgets are shrinking. Its president, Jax Clark, warns that this is not a way to place an unsold script; the story must be written specifically for the format, and every minute must hold the viewer’s attention. The series are free to watch, supported by advertising, and filmed under the rules of the SAG actors’ guild. The company plans to produce ten such series next year.

Scorsese and the “Cleopatra” That Never Was

Martin Scorsese told his daughter Francesca at the Tribeca Festival he was close to filming Cleopatra with Angelina Jolie, based on Stacy Schiff’s biography. “The script was ready,” he said. According to correspondence released later, the director also sought Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis for the other main roles.

The project was derailed by the 2014 scandal over Sony’s comedy The Interview, about an assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un. The studio’s servers were hacked, an attack the FBI blamed on North Korea. Leaked emails revealed producer Scott Rudin’s disparaging remarks about Jolie, and the film was shelved.