Compliance
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: August 17, 2012
6.4
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 84 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
55
Mixed:
15
Negative:
14
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
0
matzoballsJan 16, 2013
annoying dialogue moronic script 101% unbelievable
shame on anyone and everyone involved with Compliance
the DVD extras are also pathic
I feel much better now
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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3
bearsDec 13, 2012
I am beyond baffled as to why this film is getting any sort of praise. The fact that it is based on actual events is it's only saving grace given the fact that almost everything in this is movie dreadful. A nude teen doing jumping jacks inI am beyond baffled as to why this film is getting any sort of praise. The fact that it is based on actual events is it's only saving grace given the fact that almost everything in this is movie dreadful. A nude teen doing jumping jacks in the back of a fast food chain doesn't make for a intriguing plot, it actually discredits any validity the film was barely hanging onto. Disappointing and weak to say the least..… Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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1
berAug 30, 2012
Everything about this movie is dumb. Not least the characters who must share an IQ of 75 between them. Along with the tedious pacing and sub par acting performances i'm at a loss as to why this is so highly rated.
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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0
IposFeb 13, 2013
This is the most absurd film ever. I can't believe it has so high score. Even the Americans aren't that dumb, well maybe they are, seeing the score and the reviews.
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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8
beingryanjudeSep 1, 2014
A fresh and gripping thriller that is intriguing from the very beginning. Performances from Ann Dowd and Dreama Walker allow this small film to soar high.
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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8
SeriosityMar 9, 2013
Important to note that this movie is inspired by true events. Not entertaining in the way most movies are. It is uncomfortable to sit through and extremely frustrating, but also very compelling and suspenseful. A unique edge-of-your-seat andImportant to note that this movie is inspired by true events. Not entertaining in the way most movies are. It is uncomfortable to sit through and extremely frustrating, but also very compelling and suspenseful. A unique edge-of-your-seat and absorbing thriller, this is the most unsettling movie of the year.… Expand
2 of 4 users found this helpful22
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0
RicardoCardenasOct 27, 2012
The biggest problem I had with this film was that it felt like a short film being turned into a feature without enough material, and the film runs on empty long before the credits roll. This is like sitting through a student film that keepsThe biggest problem I had with this film was that it felt like a short film being turned into a feature without enough material, and the film runs on empty long before the credits roll. This is like sitting through a student film that keeps running on and on and on and on.
In spite of solid performances, the characters don't feel like real people but rather like creations of a writer with an agenda as his biggest concern: Every character in this movie is expendable to the situation of a prank call gone to the point of sexual assault. The intelligence of the characters was something that bothered me, but what bothered me even more was the notion of a writer not endowing his/her characters with any common sense whatsoever. As a consequence every scene felt like a false note. I am at a loss why some critics have called it tense. Tension would have been good, but I guess that would have required for the writer to care about his/her characters. Finally, I don't think that a movie being based on actual events excuses it from having a bad script. And the script for Compliance is bad. Everything in the movie crumbles because of it.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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8
TylerDsCreationJun 18, 2013
I had heard of the event that this film is based on a number of times when it happened but only put it off as just another news story. Just something that happened in the world that the newsroom needed to fill up their air time. I didn’t giveI had heard of the event that this film is based on a number of times when it happened but only put it off as just another news story. Just something that happened in the world that the newsroom needed to fill up their air time. I didn’t give it much thought until I saw this movie and realized just how horrific and diabolical this event really was.

The film begins in the setting of a fast food joint where our victims work. It just happened to be the day where business is buzzing, as it is on every Friday, and the establishment is low on bacon. Now, with a movie like this where you already know the outcome, these opening scenes are eerie. They show the characters in their most pleasant state, unknowingly waiting for their doom as it descends ever so slowly upon them. You are left waiting for the first movie to be made and it’s nerve-racking. You see the clerks working as the hours go by when the manager, Sandra, picks up the phone and to her surprise, it’s Officer Daniels on the other line asking about Becky, the cashier at the establishment. You probably already know this, but Officer Daniels is actually a prank caller posing as a police officer for his own sick pleasure. It seems that Becky has stolen some money from a woman while on the job. Becky denies this accusation, but the police say otherwise and make Sandra and several others interrogate Becky through sexual and occasionally violent means. The rest of the movie is just event after event of this “police officer” playing these people like puppets and each situation is more gruesome than the one before.

I will come out and say it now; Compliance is not an easy ride. It is not an easy subject to handle and although it’s not graphic, it is gruesome. This person for reasons unknown puts people in a situation where they are literally questioning what’s real and what’s not, then out of utter confusion they turn to the one person who is restoring order and that’s the person they suspect is a police officer, but he’s the one forming the confusion in the first place. He is playing these people like puppets, mocking them as they go through with whatever he tells them to do. It’s disgusting and just plain strange, but this is where this movie gets its true strength. It takes this short event and stretches it to the point where you are seeing these situations through the victim’s eyes and it’s unnerving in the way films like The Shining and The Silence of the Lambs are.

Compliance is a claustrophobic experience that has a unique and powerful aspect to be both uncomfortable and compelling all at the same time. It is uncomfortable to watch, and that’s just one great thing about this movie. It digs to the base of human nature during a situation like this. The characters begin to not only question the people around them, but also question their own beliefs just because of a prank call got too out of hand. How would you react during a situation like this? Everyone has their own way of coping during something like this and this film captures the very base of that complex and enthralling mechanism and it is terrifying.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
lahaine2012Aug 31, 2012
Compliance is a small movie that's saying a lot more than some of the biggest, high budget films being released. It is psychologically driven and gives much insight into how and why an ordinary individual can be blindly driven to doCompliance is a small movie that's saying a lot more than some of the biggest, high budget films being released. It is psychologically driven and gives much insight into how and why an ordinary individual can be blindly driven to do unspeakable things, by those in the authority (or at least those they believe is an authority figure). It is filled with excellent, naturalistic performances (particularly from lead actress Ann Dowd), which were essential in keeping the viewers engaged in such minimalism. The movie is tense and the director slowly, yet appropriately eases us into the tension, one step at a time. Compliance is a very good piece of independent cinema that I highly recommend, and hope doesn't go unnoticed.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
MarcDoyleAug 25, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Compliance is one of those movies that gets many thinking, "What the hell are these people doing? I'd never let this happen." (I was in that camp, knowing my fair share of Crim Pro.) Director Craig Zobel and star Pat Healey ("Officer Daniels") addressed our audience, stressing that it's not the people who are worried that they might get caught up in this sort of situation that worry them - it's those people who see it as a black and white no-brainer that these employees are idiots who are likely the same people that would likely fall prey to this situation, or the Milgram experiments. I kept thinking about Clooney's line from Michael Clayton - "Police don't call - they show up." As for the film, it's dramatic and interesting, but too much of the film is laser focused on the single night rather than on the post-call ramifications. I found it super interesting that the real-life Officer Daniels was acquitted of all charges - not in the film.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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5
eliteco3Feb 24, 2013
The believability of the stupidity of these characters makes the whole script loose credibility. Other than that there were some entertaining characters and plot development.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
Friskytiger81Sep 28, 2012
An effective little movie with a big message on corporate compliance and the choices made to do the right thing. Call it "Do the Right Thing" at an Ohio chicken shack, based on a true story. Go into it not knowing a thing and you'll have theAn effective little movie with a big message on corporate compliance and the choices made to do the right thing. Call it "Do the Right Thing" at an Ohio chicken shack, based on a true story. Go into it not knowing a thing and you'll have the best experience. If you're infuriated by how gullible some people, remind yourself this really did happen. Several walked out of my showing because it was a bit too much to believe.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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5
MarkAngelFeb 5, 2013
It is what a contemporary drama film should be: carefully paced, slowly revealing, supported by strong performances and effective score. However, it lacks deeper and much more involved analysis of the problem especially since the story isIt is what a contemporary drama film should be: carefully paced, slowly revealing, supported by strong performances and effective score. However, it lacks deeper and much more involved analysis of the problem especially since the story is based on actual events. The film barely elaborates on the issue presented. This means that, besides some questions arising at the very end, the film and most of the time relies on depiction and the potent shock value such visual suggestions contain.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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0
luke_richardsonFeb 25, 2013
Compliance is just about one of the most abhorrent films I've ever seen.

In 2007, there were 70 exceptional cases were reported across to the American Police department. While they all had their own, unsettling idiosyncrasies, they wereCompliance is just about one of the most abhorrent films I've ever seen.

In 2007, there were 70 exceptional cases were reported across to the American Police department. While they all had their own, unsettling idiosyncrasies, they were all loosely connected by subterfuge and prank calls. This is no Steve Penk or The Jerky Boys, but real vile cases of human maltreatment.

It's an extraordinary topic that is crying out to be debunked in an explorative, Errol Morris style documentary. Compliance isn't that film.

Writer/director Craig Zobel decides to focus this seeming pandemic on one exceptional example, based on a mélange of different real cases to make one mega-horrific fictional one. It's just another regular day at an Ohio fast food chain, until a meticulous prank caller convinces the restaurant manager (Ann Dowd) that one of her employees Becky, Gossip Girl's Dreama Walker, is being accused of stealing from a customer. What proceeds is a manipulating interrogation, where everyone idly agrees to whatever increasingly insane task the caller will have them do. Why? Without proving any of his credentials, the prank caller deceives everyone involved into believing that he is a police officer, and thus establishing his unobjectionable authority. By Compliance's nasty end, Becky is naked, humiliated, and sexually violated, and the audience are accomplices; watching on through guarded eyes and clenched fists.

Even though the story comes from a bastardised real place, Zobel really pushes the boundaries of plausibility. Not in a "stranger than fiction" way, but rather because the characterisation, narrative, and Zobel's misguided compulsion to tell it, is shallow. The ninety minute running time lingers for what feels like days and, whilst the repetitious sequences are relatively tame and implicit, it all feels incredibly ugly and exploitative; as if Zobel is forcing the audience to watch a security camera.

At it's most tenuous, one could wring-out a slapdash argument that the film is forcing the audience to look at this injustice like a reflexive meta-narrative, like Haneke's Funny Games. Unlike the unflinchingly austere Austrian, Zobel lacks directorial flare and balls to actually critique or comment on the true events and populace servility to the law.

Even when the film was snapped up at the Sundance Film Festival last year, it was met with notoriety, with walkouts and boos. Later, in a public Q&A, Zobel plainly admitted that the film is misogynistic. But for what reason? Zobel is trying to be forthright and polemical with Compliance, but simply projecting these images isn't enough to warrant a political license. An artless, meaningless, pseudo-video nasty that doesn't earn the discomfort it will leave you with.

My full review, and other things, right here:
www.theframeloop.com… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
StevePulaskiJan 25, 2013
Before you immediately write the characters off as "stupid" and view them as faceless teenagers mirroring those in a horror movie, where every decision is questionable, what would you do? Would you have been smarter? Would you not have beenBefore you immediately write the characters off as "stupid" and view them as faceless teenagers mirroring those in a horror movie, where every decision is questionable, what would you do? Would you have been smarter? Would you not have been distracted by the abundance of customers waiting in line and the short of employees behind the counter? Oh, how easy it would've been to just comply with authority and not risk jeopardizing your business's reputation or employees. Sandra clearly just wants to obey authority and get things sorted out as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Before criticizing her, I can not say that I blame her or I would've done any differently.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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0
CptKiffManAug 26, 2016
Great portrait of the sheer stupidity in our society. Greatly reflected by metacritic scores. Incredible that there is really such a dumb manager out there
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
seancriswellMar 8, 2013
Compliance is the chilling true story of a young fast food worker who is accused of stealing from one of the restaurants patrons. A phone call is made to the restaurants manager, who is then requested to assist in the investigation. TheCompliance is the chilling true story of a young fast food worker who is accused of stealing from one of the restaurants patrons. A phone call is made to the restaurants manager, who is then requested to assist in the investigation. The entire story takes place within the confines of the restaurants back room. What transpires over the course of a couple of hours will have you running to the internet to see how much of this true story was fabricated for dramatic license. The answer appears to be none of it. Which is not only bewildering but also terrifying.

For a film that is made by a relatively unknown writer and director and stars relatively unknown character actors Compliance is very well done. Zobel does a good job of giving us a sense of the environment that the characters reside in through subtle static shots. We are also given short glimpses into the characters lives which is allows for us to connect with them enough to be invested in the outcome of the story. This becomes very important as the story builds, and most of the characters become unsympathetic. Zobel also does a nice job of building the tension and drama in the movie. If you read about these events separate of the film you will have a hard time believing that any human could ever be so ignorant as these characters. However the events are a slow burn and Zobel does a great job of illustrating this. You will still be left shaking your head, but the events do seem more plausible as presented here.

While Compliance is not a life altering movie it is very well done and worth your time. Compliance is a story that evokes sympathy, anger, and bewilderment all at once. That is a story worth telling.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
DwideSchrudeMar 3, 2013
I want to start by saying that it would behoove a few of you to do some research regarding the film's claim "based on true events" that we see before the first frame. Unfortunately for this movie, that claim has been perverted over theI want to start by saying that it would behoove a few of you to do some research regarding the film's claim "based on true events" that we see before the first frame. Unfortunately for this movie, that claim has been perverted over the years, to the point where it hardly means anything. It's gotten to the point where "professional" reviewers don't even bother researching the claim before saying slyly cynical things like "According to the filmmakers, the events in the film were inspired by..." That's from the Miami Herald, whose review of the film translated into a 25/100 on metacritic. Compared to the "based on true events" claims that too many movies make, Compliance is a near verbatim account of a true story that happened in a McDonalds in Mount Washington, KY. I'll provide naysayers with a link at the bottom of this review, to save you the two minutes of research it took me to find. I have a problem with people being blatantly unwilling to look in the mirror, refusing to acknowledge that every single one of us has the capacity, under the right circumstances, to do awful things. From what I've read, the negative reviews I've seen illustrate this kind of self-delusional ignorance. These things happened. As a film, Compliance is solid. The acting is natural, and in some cases, beautifully harrowing. The same can be said for the score. For me, the restraint with which the filmmakers and actors treated such an explosive, horrifying situation served to create an unbelievable amount of tension. As for the script, it's a very difficult feat to make the characters' actions and reactions seem plausible in a situation like this, especially when even our greatest minds have failed to understand just how the appearance of authority can make us do such awful things. But it happened, and I think instead of faulting the filmmakers for "creating" "stupid characters," we should adopt a more honest approach. Spoiler alert if you read this article, you will know everything that happened in the movie. Thanks for reading. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20051009/NEWS01/510090392/A-hoax-most-cruel-Caller-coaxed-McDonald-s-managers-into-strip-searching-worker… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
khutchNov 9, 2013
Violent in the worst way, dirty, shameful, heavy, even than never, do not expose anything. And what makes 'Compliance' a masterpiece is that all is grasped, digested and used in some way.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
BrianMcCriticMar 10, 2013
To actually find out that when this film says based on true events it really means it, makes me feel even more
disturbed. I shutter to think that a person could be manipulated that badly.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
mrbobinnitDec 4, 2013
The characters' idiocy is so nail-bitingly frustrating that I found myself looking up the details of the actual story to keep myself entertained, only to find the events are a sequentially accurate recount of what actually occurred. ThisThe characters' idiocy is so nail-bitingly frustrating that I found myself looking up the details of the actual story to keep myself entertained, only to find the events are a sequentially accurate recount of what actually occurred. This turned the film from 'ridiculous' to 'utterly compelling'. The film is overly-long, and there's certainly not an hour and a half's worth of story here, but as a competent docu-drama it makes great watching.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
DCEdmondsNov 13, 2014
"Compliance" 10 Scale Rating: 6.0 (Decent) ...

The Good: It gets off to a rough start, but becomes somewhat interesting as you get deeper into the film. The fact that this is based on a true story is fascinating because otherwise it would"Compliance" 10 Scale Rating: 6.0 (Decent) ...

The Good: It gets off to a rough start, but becomes somewhat interesting as you get deeper into the film. The fact that this is based on a true story is fascinating because otherwise it would seem impossible. Ann Dowd got a little recognition for her part in the film and she deserved it. In a sea of bad acting, she was the lone beacon.

The Bad: The rest of the cast was pretty much terrible and really brought the film down. While I know that it was based on a true story I couldn't help but sit here and say "How stupid are these people?!?!" ...… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
broydsFeb 4, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It is one of those films that stays with you a while after watching. It is very thought provoking and you just can't believe what you are seeing at times. If this film hadn't been based off true events, II thoroughly enjoyed this film. It is one of those films that stays with you a while after watching. It is very thought provoking and you just can't believe what you are seeing at times. If this film hadn't been based off true events, I would have not enjoyed it as much, because you feel that the events that take place can't possibly happen in real life, but the shocking fact is they did happen and this film has not been exaggerated!

Side note: you can't help but enjoy those boobies!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
AWESOM-0May 22, 2020
Such a brutal movie and it's so crazy to think that this happened and it's not exaggerated. I feel so terrible for the young woman who suffered through this and as hard as this is to watch, it probably helps raise awareness.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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1
IcefyreJul 4, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Compliance is the worst movie I have ever seen in my whole life. Though the movie is based on real life events, the actors and situations that occur don't seem to be very realistic. The one good thing about this movie is that it provides some form of awareness, but now that I am aware, I am just upset that people are stupid. I don't know if the script was the problem or if it's everyday life human beings just being humans, but something in this movie just really pissed me the hell off. Officer Daniels, a fake police officer who is the antagonist pulling the 'prank phone call turns to sexual assault' thing, is not charming enough, at all. As a viewer, I'd like to feel that I can also trust this guy but it was so obvious to me that he was fake that I just couldn't see how these people couldn't. It is nice that we got to see that this is just an everyday man with a kid, but he really just... wasn't that great. He sounded confident, but people can sound confident and stupid. He was clearly stupid. I don't know how anybody in their right mind could ever believe he was a cop. This was the worst example ever and he is the worst fake cop I have ever seen. Anyone with half a brain could have known that this loser wasn't a cop, just by the way he spoke and the words he used. It was so bad. The worst, actually. The absolute worst. It was a disaster. It literally ruined my night and my perception on movies that are based on true stories. Rebecca, or Becky, was the fast food worker who was the main victim to "Officer Daniel's" assaults. However, she is also not the brightest. She does not know how the law works, and Sandra, do not get me started on Sandra. Sandra was such an unrealistic manager, you'd think that managers would have at least some sort of common sense but nope. Sandra, even though she may be stressed, is still the manager and was given this job for a reason. This wouldn't be the first time that they have a lot of people, so she should be used to that stress. On top of the stress of handling a police officer, she should have noticed. She really should have. Especially since the movie states that a police station is a half mile away and Officer Daniels just doesn't show up. Sandra is a silly goose, a little silly in the head. Rebecca, on the other hand, is more believable with two authority figures and the fact she really didn't want to lose her job since she had a reason for wanting it. Harold, a respectable man who showed up right at the end, was smart enough to just not listen to "Officer Daniels," which really made me question Sandra even more. Van, was watching over Sandra before Harold came, and it's insinuated that he's a little drunk and that he sexually assaulted her. This would be believable too but Sandra really shouldn't have let it get to this point in the first place. I don't think I have ever once in my short life known a strip search to happen without an actual police officer in sight, especially if the crime was so important as "Officer Daniels" tried to make it out to be. The witness that Officer Daniels brought up or the surveillance team, why did it not go through anybody's mind to just ask the simple question of, "HEY??? HEY BUDDY OFFICER DANIELS WHO WAS THE LADY? CAN WE TALK TO HER? HOW MUCH MONEY? WHAT WAS THE COLOR OF THE PURSE? I THINK THE REGIONAL MANAGER WOULD LET US KNOW SOONER IF THERE WAS A SURVEILLANCE TEAM??" Sorry for the capitalization. When Sandra called the regional manager around the end and we figured out that he was never in the call with "Officer Daniels," like, why didn't they do that in the first place? It just makes this movie very detestable and very unrealistic. Needless to say, this is the worst movie I have ever seen in my whole life and what makes it worse is that it's based on a true story. I don't think half of what I said could even briefly describe how much hate I have for this movie.

After reading a quick review by TylerDsCreation, I have decided that this movie may not be as simple as I thought. "Officer Daniels" is truly a sick man and I didn't truly realize until TylerDsCreation pointed it out, that he really was causing confusion. When people are confused or panicked, they don't think straight and get tunnel vision which I'm assuming is why they complied so easily. However, this does not safe the movie from being a complete failure to accurately show the true events of the truly traumatic things that happen in the real world which make people think that it's just stupid. If they had done better, I wouldn't have needed to read a review to convince me these people were brainless idiots. It's a bad movie.… Expand
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2
ChulisJan 7, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I understand bringing awareness to things but like, this situation alone when hearing about it was so degrading, and horrific, and unsettling. There is original video and audio that there was no need to shoot an entertainment film for profit if the victim isn't the producer. Y'all should've put the incident information in the beginning so people understand that it's real. The actors get the points here. No one needs to sit through 94 minutes of this incident. The nudity was unnecessary. I'm already cringing at the fact that a manager, responsible for all employees, ALLOWED and ABIDED by these inappropriate requests. In what world? Just throw the whole thing away. Garbage.… Expand
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