History Main / PerpSweating

* In ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'', the backstory of the primary antagonist results from one of these going very badly wrong. An innocent man at the time, he'd been brought in as the main suspect for a crime, and the rookie detective went too far in implying what would happen to him if he didn't co-operate. Scared out of his mind and beyond rational thought, he took the detective's gun and fled the police station, forcing the cops to pursue him to a certain park...

* Subverted in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' when Terry, desperate to join his wife as she gives birth, ominously asks for a few minutes alone with the man they're interrogating. Cut to him tearfully imploring the man to give up the names so that he doesn't miss the birth of his child. The man starts crying too and agrees.

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and people with UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. A person with Aspergers will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, if they are high functioning), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.

* ''Manga/NininGaShinobuden'' of all series, has one of these when Onsokumaru questions Miyabi about the boy she has a crush on.

* TruthSerum

* WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch put the interrogation light on new cavemate Rare Bear in "Rare Bear Bungle", thinking he's either a mole planted by Peevly or a human spy in a bear suit. (In the comic book adaptation it's Botch in a bear suit.)

* WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch put the interrogation light on new cavemate Rare Bear in "Rare Bear Bungle", thinking he's either a mole planted by Peevly or a human spy in a bear suit. (In the comic book adaptation it's Botch in a bear suit.)

* WesternAnimation/TheHairBearBunch put the interrogation light on new cavemate Rare Bear in "Rare Bear Bungle", thinking he's either a mole planted by Peevly or a human spy in a bear suit. (In the comic book adaptation it's Botch in a bear suit.)
* In "Daffy Dilly," [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Daffy Duck]] gives the third degree to the butler of a dying millionaire that's been ejecting him.
-->'''Daffy:''' Are we to assume that (A) you would not want your master to regain his good health, and (B) you would endeavor to remove from the premises the only person capable of restoring said health to said master?

Specific variants:

* WeKnowEverything

Two character types on whom Perp Sweating almost never works include TheSociopath and people with UsefulNotes/AspergersSyndrome: two totally different types of people, both on different levels of communication than you. TheSociopath will be two steps ahead of you and retaliate with a HannibalLecture. A person with Aspergers will be seven or eight steps behind (or ahead, if they are high functioning), and get confused by subtle questions, annoyed by a GoodCopBadCop routine, and clam up if you start lying to them. The savvy ones will BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to get back at you. Either way you're going to have to rethink your techniques with them.

One major problem with Perp Sweating is that it is often done in an effort to elicit a confession in the absence of evidence actually proving the person's guilt. In other words, the interrogator is assuming the questioned individual's guilt even without a concrete reason. At best, this can be called poor investigative technique and at worst, it can be called a violation of the principle that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

See also ''Franchise/PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]] -- depictions in media often skip the suspect's MirandaRights or [[YouDoNotHaveToSayAnything similar]] [[ReadingYourRights warnings]] (though this can be excused if the setting is in jurisdictions that lack these rights).

See also ''Franchise/PerryMason'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. But beware any attempt to try this on the PsychoForHire, lest you be reduced to tears by a HannibalLecture. Also, [[RealityIsUnrealistic just 'cuz it happens on teevee doesn't mean it's legal]] - depictions in media often skip the suspect's MirandaRights or [[YouDoNotHaveToSayAnything similar]] [[ReadingYourRights warnings]] (though this can be excused if the setting is in jurisdictions that lack these rights).

* Literature/TheActionHerosHandbook - "How to Interrogate a Suspect" discusses common perp sweating techniques and how to tell if a suspect has something to hide.

* ''Series/{{Batman}}''. In the episode "The Dead Ringers", Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara put Harry (Chandel's EvilTwin brother) under a bright light while questioning him.

* ''Film/TheMatrix'' has Agent Smith as a [[SmugSnake Smug Snake]] with a high stack of annotated papers and manila folders, the props used in the old "We Know Everything" bit, implying that the authorities have [[YourPermanentRecord Your Permanent Record]], and that it really does contain everything you've ever done wrong. It was less than effective than they were used to when they applied it to Neo, however.

* ''Series/DoctorWho''. In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E4Inferno Inferno]]", the Doctor travels to an AlternateHistory Britain that's been taken over by a fascist dictatorship. He is captured and interrogated by the Brigade Leader, TheBrigadier's EvilCounterpart. This consists of the Doctor tied to a chair with a light in his face, being shouted at a lot. It works as well as you'd expect, but it's obvious the Brigade Leader isn't very smart.

* ''Series/GetSmart''. In "Survival of the Fattest", Maxwell Smart loses the Arabian prince he was supposed to be watching. Thinking that a crucial detail might be buried in his unconscious mind that would reveal the kidnapper, Max insists on being handed over to CONTROL's Grill Team, used for sweating information out of enemy agents. Cut to Max with a light shining on his face, being slapped around by two CONTROL agents in shirtsleeves.

* 'Series/{{NCIS}}'':

* In ''Film/NysteryOfTheWaxMuseum'', cops keep questioning Darcy, and he spills the beans on Ivan's operation as he starts going cold turkey from his drug addiction.

-->'''Superman:''' Let's put a little light on the subject... ''(shines light in Deadshot's face, who winces)'' Sorry! Too bright? ''(off Batman's look)'' I mean, uh...''that's nothing compared to my Heat Vision, which will really do some serious damage! So''...talk!

-->'''Superman:''' Let's put a little light on the subject... ''(shines light in Deadshot's face, who winces)'' Sorry! Too bright? ''(off Batman's look)'' I mean, uh...''that's nothing compared to my Heat Vision, which will really do some serious damage! So''...talk!''

* ''Film/TheMatrix'' has Agent Smith as a [[SmugSnake]] with a high stack of annotated papers and manila folders, the props used in the old "We Know Everything" bit, implying that the authorities have [YourPermanentRecord]], and that it really does contain everything you've ever done wrong. It was less than effective than they were used to when they applied it to Neo, however.

* Harvey Dent does this to the man who [[spoiler:apparently killed Jim Gordon]] in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. Harvey abducts him from the ambulance, ties him up in a chair, and threatens to shoot him if a coin flip turns up 'tails' unless he talks. The coin is a two-headed one, so Harvey never really intended to shoot the man. Batman puts a stop to this because a) the perp is a mental patient and thus isn't truly culpable for his deeds and b) Gotham's "White Knight" shouldn't be resorting to such unethical tactics.