The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth

This could have easily been a 80-minute documentary but (typical these days with streaming services) it is stretched to 3 full episodes where half the content is legit, and the other half is padding.

Episode 1 built a good understanding of the history of the actual experiment, why it happened and illustrates its impacts on the participants who testify for themselves.

Episode 2 meanders a bit, mainly depicting the show's recreation of the experiment with hired actors, in part to make up for lack of real archival footage but also to set up the next episode where this will somehow come into play. So already we are seeing a lack of focus. About half the episode is still good, however, for the research shown by people who exposed myths about the real experiment and dispel any hype stirred up by its creator in years since for his financial gain.

Episode 3 confirms this series got drawn out for view time. Almost nothing is gained, despite finally hearing from the doctor behind the experiment for his side of the story. But this is spliced between a needless sentimental reunion of the original participants (now middle-aged) whom we've already heard from for 2 episodes, but now they observe actors recreating their experience on a closed set... for amusement, I guess. Otherwise, their testimony becomes redundant by this point and the viewer gains too little.

Kind of ironic that a major point of the series was how the initial experiment got milked for publicity and overblown. Then, this series does that further.

It's still a fascinating story but you may find yourself skimming through, as you realize how much this could've been effectively told in a shorter, concise, single film.