Actors: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Rhys Wakefield, Adelaide Kane,
Edwin Hodge, Arija Hodge and others
Director: James DeMonaco
The story takes place during a special evening and night. It is the year 2022 in USA and times have changed. The economy is flourishing, unemployment at an all time low as well as that crime have almost been eradicated. On the surface people are happy and secure. We learn that the USA have new founding fathers that have saved the country.
The story centres around the wealthy Sandin family who lives in a gated well to do area of an american city.
Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a successful business man selling security solutions for homes. His family lives in a large expensive house and all seem to be perfect. It is time for the annual Purge which is instrumental in keeping the new US society happy and safe. The Purge is an annual event that takes place over one night. It means that all crime is legal and that all emergency services such as police and ambulances are suspended. According to news flashes and conversation through out the film the purpose of the Purge is for people to release all their hatred. Murder, rape, fire, beatings are all legal and fully fine to go out and do. Another dimension of the Purge is contempt for the poor and that anyone that is not successful or seen as a burden to society is not wanted and even more desired to be the victim of the Purge. In fact it is implied that it is seen as positive to specially target homeless, poor people and other undesirable aspects of society.
The Sandin family close their home down to be in the security of their home. The parents explain to questions from the children that they have no need to participate in this years Purge. All is going like normal until the son faces a moral dilemma that will change things forever for the family.
The son sees on CCTV monitor a man being chased and is screening for anyone to help him. During a split moment the son opens the gates to the home and allows the chased stranger sanctuary.
Now the tables slowly turns and the family as the host of this victim become themselves the hunted. A group of sinister but well adjusted and successful individuals gather around the family home to demand the release of the victim of this years Purge. What follows is a break in to the family home, slaughter, torture and suspense. The film finish with a nice twist involving people you do not expect and reactions that surprises. The end of the night of the Purge finish the quite enjoyable cinematic experience.
The film was a pleasant surprise. Some fine acting and the script well made and not too predictable. It gives you both a moral perspective as well as a commentary of a future perhaps which is both imaginative and realistic. The veneer of present day democratic civilisation is examined and provides a warning about what could happen. The film has aspects of interpretation of 1984 of it. Not that it is near as close as sophisticated or brilliant as the novel but tries to examine questions about humanity, morals, what is a life worth and the cost of your own existence. The acting is mostly good. The family unit who at the beginning of the film appears solid and perfect first experience threat followed by danger is finely portrayed. This is in juxtaposition to the gang of the group out to Purge that shows no moral compass. They claim the right to hunt down this unwanted as they call it burden to society in the homeless/poor person they want to kill. The efforts of Rhys Wakefiled is brilliant in his on surface polite manners but expose a deep moral morass that brings to mind the classic portray in American psycho. Superior and polished in a deadly combination.
The ending is well made and a sudden outburst from the surviving mother of the Sandin family is brilliant. She wants to keep sanity and have to resort to the new way of thinking to survive. Memorable.
Rating: 3,75 of 5.0
