Morality is something that defines our society; what is right and what is wrong? Do we even know? And in a situation filled with stress and extreme confusion, can we tell the difference? In Craig Zobell’s film “Compliance,” morality is brought into question not only in the progression of the narrative, but from an audience’s perspective as well.

The film itself is based on true events, and starts out with a relatively simple incident. Sandra (Ann Dowd), the manager of a fast food restaurant called ChickWich, receives a call from a police officer claiming that an employee of Sandra’s has stolen money from a customer. The alleged thief is Becky (Dreama Walker), a teenager who has never had any brushes with the law; in simpler terms, she is a “good girl.”

The officer asks Sandra to sequester Becky and offers her two options: either Becky can be arrested and brought to the police station for questioning, or Sandra can strip search Becky and end everything. Sandra believes the search will be easier, and Becky, pleading innocence, complies for fear of losing her job. The strip search yields nothing, but the officer is far from finished with his investigation. What follows is the most excruciating and brilliant film experience in recent memory.

Zobel’s film is only 90 minutes long yet it captivates you and holds on, keeping you on the edge of your seat. It can be painful to watch at times, especially as you witness the repeated violations of Becky’s privacy and Sandra seeming like a victim as well. While her actions may cause you to despise her, you can’t help but feel sympathy – she is doing what she believes is the right thing (she’s only following orders).

The more you watch you wonder, “In a similar circumstance, would I do the same thing?” As the film progresses, the cello-driven score (which is brilliant) rattles your nerves and as the requests of the officer become more humiliating and wrong, your mind becomes ever more conflicted. It makes you feel angry, confused, scared and you question your morality at the same time.

The film itself is filled with captivating performances. Dowd kills as the manager called to do the right thing, balancing a thin line between innocent victim and oblivious torturer. Walker owns as the innocent victim, enduring humiliation at the hands of her captor over the phone in hopes that everything will end soon. And Pat Healy, with no more than his voice, is convincingly creepy as the police officer who isn’t all that he seems.

“Compliance” is a film that captivates you as you watch it, and sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater. It is haunting and artistically brilliant; I give it four out of four stars.