The Purge-2013

Director James DeMonaco

Starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey

Scott’s Review #128

Reviewed July 23, 2014

Grade: A-

On paper, the premise of The Purge (2013) is intriguing. It immediately caught my attention, and I was compelled to see it.

The government, fed up with the overwhelming crime and prison overcrowding, decides to initiate a once-a-year purge, where anything goes.

It’s like Christmas for the criminals and the insane.

All emergency and police services shut down on this night, and citizens are left to their own devices as a way to purge the violent and aggressive instincts from human systems.

An affluent family, led by a security systems genius (Ethan Hawke), nestles in their lavish home.

Of course, events go awry, and chaos ensues.

The film has suspense, thrills, frights, and a bit of humor, while raising questions of class distinction and societal inequality: Why are the wealthy better off than the poor? Do they deserve to be?

I enjoyed the setting of the wealthy, gated Los Angeles community and the eerily Stepford-wife-like atmosphere of the neighborhood, where housewives delivered casseroles and other dishes to each other for the big night.

Throughout this sunny environment, the viewer could sense a too-good-to-be-true cheerfulness and the darkness to follow, anticipated as sunset emerged.

I found this film unpredictable and edge-of-your-seat, and it delved into a home-invasion thriller that worked well.

I couldn’t predict what would happen next, and that was incredibly entertaining.

I am unsure whether some of the humor in the film was intentional; some of the kills were over the top and included one-liners, but The Purge (2013) is a crisp, fun, summer popcorn horror film.