THE PURGE – James DeMonaco

Well, we are knee deep in the Summer Blockbuster Movie Season. Between sequels and Reboots, there’s the little films in between. Well, The purge is one of those. I first saw the trailer about a month ago on Reelz Channel and knew right then I HAD to see it! I have and I have some mixed reviews on it. So, here is my review of The purge.

This film takes place in the year 2022. It proves that not all films that take place in the future don’t have laser guns or flying cars. However, by the look of this film, 2022 looks pretty much the same as we live today (with only a few exceptions in electronics). The story is about The Purge. Crime is 1%, there is no wars, and the economy is booming. However, for one night out of the year, society can have a 100% free for all! You can do anything you want and get away with it…even murder. You can rob, steal, destroy property, do anything. You can hunt down your boss and kill him, you can blow up a building, anything! This event accures all over the world for one night. The police cannot help you, hospitals are closed and will not help you until 7:00 the next morning, and everyone either goes out and takes part in this once a year event or they stay hope and lock it down.

A Security salesman, James Sandin (played by Ethan Hawke), has sold his whole neighborhood his high-tech security system which locks down your whole house in seconds and nothing is suppose to get in or out during the Purge. His wife, Mary (played by Lena Headey), and two children Charlie (played by Max Burkholder) and Zoey (played by Adelaide Kane) enjoy their evening around the house and having dinner and doing what normal families do. However, lock down hour arrives and a creepy feeling comes over everyone. Not knowing what is gonna happen, they feel safe and have a “What could go wrong?” attitude. Until things do go wrong.

When Charlie see’s a homeless vet running down the street of the rich neighborhood screaming for help so he doesn’t die, he feels for him and unlocks the security house system to let him in. Unsure if he’s friend or foe, the family begins to panick and it becomes a cat and mouse game in the house. However, a group of young angry teens come knocking and want that homeless man because on Purge night they have that right to kill him and anyone else and how dare the Sandin family deny them of that. A decision must be made; let the homeless man out or the angry Purgers come in? Their decision will decide what kind of people they really are. Are they for or against the Purge and all it stands for? To find out, I recommend this film, but with caution.

For the most part, I enjoyed this film. It felt like a jacked up episode of The Twilight Zone. I like the idea, the concept, and some of the scares, however, there’s some things I disagree with. There a lot of “undertones’ in this film. A lot of “stereotyping”. The “White are rich and strong and powerful” and the “poor are weak” message it gives. I understand why they have it for one night, but it never goes into real detail as to what happens the rest of the year? I find it hard to believe there’s really NO crime or low economy the rest of the whole year. Society wouldn’t behave that well, I think. There are some surprises at the end, but I felt there was something..missing. I found it entertaining and worth a watch, but it is also very violent. And I will say the leader of the Purgers who come knocking, (played by Rhys Wakefield), was not only creepy, but has one of the scariest smiles since The Joker. I recommend The purge for a matinee showing or dvd, but worth your time.