8 Things That Don't Look Anything Like They Do In Movies

7. Interrogation Is A Bit More 'Peace And Love'

Interrogation scenes usually involve some of the most brutal action in the entire movie. If you have siblings, however, you'll know that inflicting discomfort on someone is not a great way to get reliable information.

The problem is with these torturous interrogations is that they just don't work. If you start hitting someone with a length of chain, they'll probably say anything to get you to stop. If you hit them a little bit too hard with that length of chain, they might not be in a state of mind to tell you anything at all before long. It is for this reason that information obtained under torture, whether in military or police interrogations, will get you laughed out of a courtroom (or perhaps met with horrified silence).

The vicious treatment of detainees in films like Zero Dark Thirty, apart from being largely ineffective, would have at the very least caused a storm of paperwork - you need written permission from Washington just to slap someone around the face once.

Much of the brutality depicted in these scenes is more akin to the abuse of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq. The term "abuse" gives us a clue that these are not exactly sanctioned interrogation techniques. Whilst the secret service does indulge in the occasional bout of waterboarding, a lot of interrogation techniques are a bit fluffier.

Many will actively encourage bonding with the detainee on an emotional level, making them feel safe and even suggesting that they might have had a good reason to commit the crimes that they did. Turns out that people are likely to give you the truth if they think you're going to be nice about it, who knew?