“Compliance” (2012) directed by Craig Zobel, features an ensemble cast led by Dreama Walker as Becky, Ann Dowd as Sandra, Pat Healy as Daniels, Philip Ettinger as Kevin, and Ashlie Atkinson as Marti. “Compliance” starts like any other thriller, slow and measured. But when it picks up, it transforms into something entirely unexpected. The concept of prank calling in cinema isn’t new. However, this film handles it in a way that becomes the true highlight of the story. Everything whether it’s the cast, the theme, or the storyline is restrained and purposeful, delivering a film that spans just 90 minutes. The film follows the story of Becky, an innocent and naive employee who becomes a victim of a prank call.
The movie opens with the employees, led by Sandra, gathering for a morning meeting before the store opens. It’s going to be a busy day because it’s the weekend, after all. There’s also been a mishap. Someone left the freezer door open, resulting in a $1,500 loss of inventory. Sandra reminds everyone to be on their best behavior, as Friday nights at ChickWich tend to get hectic. Sandra is a good boss friendly and approachable but she isn’t particularly well-liked by her employees, largely due to the generational age gap. It’s clear from her expressions that this bothers her at times. We also learn that Sandra recently heard from her father that her long-time boyfriend is planning to propose to her soon.
Compliance (2012) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Why does Daniels ask Sandra to Detain Becky?
“Compliance” opens with Sandra receiving a call from someone claiming to be a police officer. Initially, she thinks it’s about the broken freezer at her workplace. But the caller, Officer Daniels, informs her that one of her employees, Becky, has been caught stealing from a customer. According to Daniels, Becky has been under surveillance for a while as part of a larger investigation and now is the time to question her.
Sandra, confused but cooperative, puts Becky on the phone. Daniels tells Becky that he’s with a woman who claims she took something from her. He insists he’s been watching Becky for some time and knows all about what she has been doing. Following Daniels’ instructions, Sandra checks Becky’s pockets and purse but finds nothing suspicious.
Daniels instructs Sandra to keep Becky in the store until officers arrive to arrest her. Becky, completely stunned, insists she is innocent and has never stolen anything from anyone. Sandra, though cooperative, starts to feel skeptical about the situation. She knows Becky to be a well-mannered and reliable employee, making the accusations hard to believe.
The caller, claiming to be Officer Daniels, convinces Sandra to conduct a strip search on Becky. He argues that if the police handle it, Becky will end up in their system, potentially damaging her career. However, Daniels’ attitude and tone raise eyebrows as he continually blames and accuses Becky without presenting any evidence that she has stolen anything.
Who is Daniels & How Does He Harass Becky?
Sandra and Marti reluctantly conduct a strip search, but, as before, they find nothing suspicious. Under further pressure from the caller, who insists he’s Officer Daniels, they even ask Becky to remove her undergarments to search for the supposed stolen money. Following his instructions, they place Becky’s clothes in a bag, as Daniels claims the police will test them when they arrive.
During the call, Daniels claims he is currently at Becky’s house searching for the stolen money. He accuses Becky’s brother of being a troublemaker who grows and sells marijuana, allegedly with Becky’s help. However, it is later revealed that Daniels is not a police officer. He’s actually a man in his thirties sitting on his couch, making prank calls while sipping soda. In one scene, we see him casually cooking dinner as he continues to give orders to Sandra and her staff, demanding that they call him “sir” or “officer.”
At Daniels’s orders, Sandra calls her fiancé, Van, to the store to assist with the situation. Up until this point, Sandra has been following Daniels’s instructions without question, even agreeing to strip search Becky and refusing to return her clothes. Things escalate when Daniels tells Van to ask Becky to remove the apron she’s wearing.
When Becky says she is not comfortable doing so, Daniels tells him that if she doesn’t comply, the police will take her to jail. Left with no choice, Becky reluctantly removes her apron, allowing Van to inspect her. Soon, Daniels’s demands grow increasingly disturbing. He orders Van to perform a cavity search on Becky to ensure she’s not concealing any contraband. The situation takes a horrifying turn when Daniels forces Van to spank Becky and coerces her into performing oral sex on Van.
Compliance (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
How Did Harold Uncover the Truth Behind Daniels’ Deception?
Harold, another employee, arrives at the store and is taken to the office where Becky is being held. Unlike Sandra and the others, Harold does what should have been done hours earlier. When Daniels asks Harold to follow his outrageous instructions, just as he had done with Van, Harold refuses saying that what he is asking from him is wrong and not “policemanly.” Harold confronts Sandra about the situation, and she finally calls Robbie, the regional manager, to ask about the supposed investigation. Robbie is baffled and informs her that he does not know of any such case. This is when Sandra realizes she’s been deceived from the start. Daniels is not a police officer but a manipulative prankster who loves to see others suffer.
Within minutes, the police are contacted, and they confirm that many other stores and people have fallen victim to similar hoaxes. The authorities waste no time tracing Daniels, working with officers from multiple jurisdictions. They eventually locate Daniels, who happens to be a telemarketer living off his mundane job while using his free time to play such cruel scams. Talking about the aftermath, Sandra loses her job due to her actions during the incident, and Becky seeks legal counsel to file a lawsuit against the corporation.
Who Bears the Most Responsibility for Becky’s Ordeal?
So, who is truly at fault? The film subtly asks this question to its audience, and no matter how you see it, everyone except Becky shares the blame. Sandra, the store manager, even appears on a television interview claiming she was a victim in the situation. In reality, she is just as culpable. She should have realized much earlier that Daniels’s instructions were inhumane and that no real police officer would ever ask a civilian to conduct an investigation, let alone perform a strip search on someone accused of theft.
Despite Becky pleading repeatedly for Sandra to stop and spare her further humiliation, Sandra continued following Daniels’s orders. At one point, Sandra even yelled at Becky, telling her to comply and not speak out. Sandra never once considered consulting the police directly, even though the local station was just half a mile away from the store. During the interview, Sandra makes every effort to portray herself as a victim and spin the narrative in her favor. However, when the interviewer presents footage of what actually happened that day, Sandra is unable to justify her actions.
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