10 Terrifying Horror Movies Set In A Prison

Next we come to an effort from Germany. At the turn of the 2000s, a premise surrounding a prison experiment was put into play by Oliver Hirschbiegel, who is best known for 2004's Downfall. In many ways, The Experiment is inspired by the ever controversial incident at Stanford in the 1970s.

Much like the real-world event, many citizens are invited to partake in an experiment for 4000 German marks. One of these individuals is Tarek Fahd (Moritz Bleibtreu), a taxi driver tempted by the high pay out. Once engaged in the experiment, the prisoners are given numbers and have their civil rights taken away with a set of guards watching them constantly.

As you can probably tell, things quickly turn nasty as the corrupt guards abuse their power and start mistreating those under their care. In keeping with the closed nature of the experiment, the film's story keeps us sealed inside the prison with the participants. Witnessing the same breakdowns and escalation of violence, we bear full witness to the growing terror that envelopes the setting.

The Experiment was met was mostly positive reviews at the time of its release and established Oliver Hirschbiegel as a director to watch in the years to come. If nothing else, the film served a reminder of just how unethical prisons can be.