The Purge Reviews

three stars

Some movies are intended to be "film" and some are simply a "movie", this is simply a movie. Anyone expecting more than what they get watching this movie deluded themselves before watching it. It delivers just what a movie of this genre should.

One night a year, all crime is legal.

Good movie! The concept is interesting, and has never been done before. While this movie was not as scary as I had anticipated, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The antagonists were disturbing, and the movie really shows the struggle between self-preservation and what's right. It is somewhat short, but the makers certainly do get the job done. Plenty of flashlight-and-pistol standoffs and suspenseful scenes make for a movie with an interesting plot, and good acting.

In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.

"The Purge", is one of the most amazing concepts for a movie in years! I absolute loved the idea of this. The movie itself was decent, but lackluster enough, that it didn't really capitalize on such an amazing concept. It isn't that I didn't like the typical and predictable action based plot of surviving a lock down, but, I really wish it would have expanded past one single families situation. The best way to wrap this movie up in a quick review is: A nearly perfect concept with a mediocre delivery of that concept.
The actors done well, the plot was ok written, but all in all it really could have been so much more. Still, I wouldn't let this stop you from checking the movie out, as it's worth a watch and it does get your head spinning about what a real purge might be like.

Sci-fi cautionary tales have been an outstanding way to provide commentary for contemporary anxiety. Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, and the recently departed Richard Matheson were masters of this. A movie can make you think as speculative fiction while still following s thriller/horror blueprint to entertain the masses. And so writer/director James DeMonaco (Assault on Precinct 13, The Negotiator) wades into these waters with The Purge, a home invasion thriller that has a premise that, on the surface, might make you scoff. In 2022, the United States has practically solved unemployment and crime thanks to a nifty little holiday known as the Purge. Every year, for a twelve-hour window, law is rescinded and so are emergency services like police and firefighters. For those 12 hours, good American men and women are allowed to engage in just about every sort of crime up to and including murder. It's designed for people to release all their aggression and darker impulses, thus allowing for a safer, happier 364 and a half days a year.

James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is the top salesman when it comes to hardcore home security systems, the kind with the thick metal doors over your windows and doors. He lives in one of those finely protected homes with his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and children, Max (Max Burkholder) and Zoey (Adelaide Kaine). They're prepared for a long night behind barricades. Then a wounded black man (Edwin Hodge) runs through the cushy neighbor, crying desperately for help. Charlie offers him refuge inside the Sandin abode. Shortly after, a group of masked vigilantes, led by a lad who looks like Patrick Bateman, knock on the Sandin home. The bloody ma is their "bait," and these angry folk demand he be returned to them, or else they will be coming in and sparing no one.

This high-concept thriller is a well-crafted suspense piece, with several well-developed sequences that squeeze out tension. The premise involves some mighty suspension of disbelief but you'd be surprised how easy it is to accept and move on. The kids provide dissenting voices, mostly Charlie, and we get a lean history of the Purge and all the information we need to go forward, at least for this night. I liked how it's become a common passing greeting to say "Stay safe" to people on the day before the Purge. Little details like that make the world feel more thought out. I like that engaging in the Purge is thought of as one's patriotic duty. There are some tantalizing moments of dread as well, like a neighbor sharpening his killing tools outdoors. But really the movie comes down to its suspense, broken up into a series of different goals. James wants to protect his family and return the "bait," but first he needs to find him and subdue him. Charlie wants to save him and get to him first. It's your standard people-groping-in-the-dark kind of picture, but when given a strong sense of urgency and some good actors, it can be plenty suspenseful. DeMonaco does a fine job of making sure his story doesn't get too confusing, tasking the audience with keeping track of too many participants. So when we have Zoey's bad boyfriend (Tony Oller), he's dealt with before the manhunt begins. When the home invasion kicks in, the manhunt is over. When it looks like Zoey is heading straight for the stranger, it's a storyline that culminates very quickly. There's a good sense of clarity throughout The Purge, which aids the effectiveness of the thrills.

For the first half of the movie, things snap together well enough that you just accept the premise and its implications, forgoing the nitpicks that wait. It isn't until the third act where you start to disengage from the film and pick it apart. As a cautionary tale, it has some interesting ideas about class warfare; the main villain is right out of Ayn Rand's Objectivist playbook. But the ideas and moral commentary fade as the movie becomes more a standard, albeit effective, suspense thriller. I really appreciated the argument that unemployment is so low because the Purge takes care of the sick, homeless, and poor and disadvantaged, those chiefly who cannot defend themselves and are easily targeted. It's an eerie extreme that doesn't feel too many steps removed from the last presidential election where Republican primary debate audiences cheered the hypothetical death of the poor. But then the nitpicks do come and once they do it's like a rushing tide that cannot be stopped. Why do people have stockpiles of guns but no bulletproof vests and gear? Why wait for the bad guys to get in when you and your armed, well-defended family in your home fortress can preemptively strike? Why would you order the Sandin family to return your "bait" and then turn off their power? Doesn't that make it much harder? Why would killing your girlfriend's father win her over? Do you think she's really still going to be your girlfriend after that? How big is this house that people get lost in it constantly? Who hides under the bed in this day and age? And, when hiding from intruders who wish to kill you, why in the world would you keep your flashlight on?

It's late in this last act that the film tries to go one step too far. The home invasion commences, the struggles are pretty dandy to watch with some creepy imagery, and then DeMonaco has to go beyond that, introducing a secondary set of antagonists that at once feel obvious and poorly set up. The family asks, befuddled, why these new antagonists are doing what they're doing, but they, and you, will not get a straight answer. It's really designed to be shocking and little else, and so it feels tacked on and unnecessary. The last ten minutes of the film fumble the momentum of the movie. It's a stumble at the finish line and leaves some lingering doubt as you assess the effectiveness of the whole movie.
So the premise begs the question: what would you do with a lawless 12-hour window? I think most human beings would be too timid to embrace their animal side. Morals and ethics factor in, naturally, but really I think it's just good old fear, the fear that anyone else can snuff you out with impunity, and engaging in the Purge also makes you a target. I think most people would probably try and engage in heists, but then the bank would be crawling with twenty different heist teams squabbling over who gets the loot. The banks would also surely increase their security astronomically.

The premise, while intriguing, also permeates with scads of ambiguity. Purge hours are from 7 PM to 7 AM, but what if you're in the midst of committing a crime and go over the window? To use the bank robbery example, what if you get the money but fail to leave the bank by 7 AM, or even have? At that point, are you considered a criminal? Does the money go back to being counted as stolen goods or if it was pilfered during Purge hours it doesn't count? Then there are the psychological ramifications of said Purge. If your neighbor raped your wife, Scott-free, you cannot tell me that vengeance isn't going to play a key part in next year's Purge. Seeing that face every day, acting "neighborly" while knowing what happened, plotting, waiting, and while the rapist neighbor prepares for the attack as well. Actually, that sounds like a pretty decent sequel (you can have that one for free, Blumhouse). How much Purge-related violence is just retaliatory vengeance? How do people stay in this country? If I as rich and could afford a super pricy security system, perhaps I'd rather take a weekend getaway to Canada instead. Or just stay for good.

The Purge is an effective little thriller until it isn't, which thankfully only unravels in the concluding ten minutes or so. Until then, DeMonaco gooses his film with enough scares and thrills to justify a sitting, leaving an audience mostly satisfied until they exit and start to pick the film's nature apart. I would have liked a bit more moral inquiry, political commentary, and some headier looks into these New Founding Fathers running the country, but I was satisfied with the suspense thriller I got. It's modest, proficient, and well developed with its suspense, so I can't be too picky. Then again, with this premise, The Purge could have been a lot more than what it is, a lot more disturbing and a lot more contemplative. But I'll settle for effective and call it a day.

Nate's Grade: B-

Cliches around every corner, "The Purge" tries very hard to be original, but in the end, it's clever twist on the genre that the trailers make it out to be, kind of falls flat, with hardly any suspense or genuine terror throughout the film. Ethan Hawk is a great actor, so the film is held together well performance-wise, but the script is so simple and uninspired that the plot of the film is completely shit on. There is hardly any development as to why this "Purge" happens every year and the first two acts are just too dry to care about anything that is happening. Once the third act kicks off, moments that are supposed to be intense have no suspense, and sad moments happen in an instant and then move on to something else, leaving you no time to cope. Once the killers get possession of the home, the entire film pretty much goes downhill. This movie has LAME written all over it. The idea is interesting but that is all I will remember this for, just a missed opportunity, and the final 10 minutes will have you laughing, unintentionally. "The Purge" is one of the worst films of 2013! This film is complete garbage!

A brutal movie, that entertains but an average movie at best there is room for improvement but greatly acted and enjoyable! A fantastic concept just not fantastically executed!

Horror films have been fairly hit and miss this year. Only a few genre films have been worth checking out. The remake of Maniac was great, but the problem was, it was a remake, it covered an old idea. However with The Purge, we get something truly interesting in terms of effective horror. This is an original and truly disturbing film with good performances, effective chills and a good story. The Purge is a surprising treat for horror fans that are disappointed in many of the films that have come out. The film is surprisingly underrated, and though it could have been rewritten to add more depth to its concept, this is an accomplished horror film that succeeds at delivering what genre fans want out of a movie. There are some good performances here as well, and it makes for one of the most thrilling horror films of the year. If you've been disappointed at some of the horror films that have come out this year, The Purge is disturbing and works well enough for its short run time, but you come to realize how good the film could have been with a bit more depth to its story. Despite this, this is still a good horror film, one that is memorable and thrilling, but does fall short of what it could have been in the long run. If you want something different, then this is the film to see. With an interesting idea for a plot, The Purge is a worthwhile film to watch and it doesn't deserve the negativity it has received. Yes, it is a film that could have been improved upon, but overall is a riveting film that is overlooked and delivers impressive chills.

Absolutely AWFUL movie. The movie is I guess supposed to be scary, but honestly we were laughing more than anything. The story line and writing was HORRIBLE. Absolutely horrible. What the people said, what they did was so stupid and ridiculous. The movie is about a home invasion and everyone is trying to kill the family and it's really really funny. If they were going for a comedy then I think they nailed it. The ending scene is by far the stupidest most ridiculous scene I have ever seen in a movie. I don't want to spoil it but I will anyway so stop reading if you don't want to know. At the end after the neighbors try to kill the family, the mother forces everyone to sit at the table and says that no more violence will happen tonight and that she will let the neighbors go after the purge is over. So the ending scene is literally them sitting at a table waiting for the purge to end so they can go home. Like the dad already got killed and the mom is just letting the neighbors chill in her kitchen. The movie was so stupid. The writing was just so bad. I can't even explain to you how terrible this movie is. The acting wasn't so bad, but the writing was just the worst I have ever come across. Like I suck at writing but I could've come up with a better script than the shit they were working with in this movie. Avoid this movie, unless you want to see a really bad movie and need something to laugh at. It's a really funny comedy, but awful awful horror movie or whatever the hell kind of movie they were trying to make.

The film itself was well acted, but the best part of this film was Rhys Wakefields performance. Edwin Hodge too deserves credit for making his character believable.
The beginning of the film has an eerie tone to it. Knowing the premise of the film, the neighbors are a little too nice and a little too fake for comfort. In fact the director should have counted on the viewers having advanced knowledge of the movie and left some subtlety to their interactions.
The violence level exceeds that of a typical suspense movie and seems to bleed into more of an action flick. Although the premise of the film will remain memorable for years, aside from a few sequences, most of the film is both expected and ordinary.

Very split on this movie, which usually doesn't happen that often. One of the most disappointing things to happen to movies, in my opinion, is when movies begin with truck loads of potential and then tank from there. The Purge is an example of that. For starters, the movie is and feels very short....rushed at many points. I could write an essay on how the movie could have been improved, but it would be a waste of time. All in all, great concept but poor execution.

Interesting story line, but somewhat predictable.

A family prepares for "purge night", they go on about their daily routines, when the son helps out a stranger calling for help. He lets him in the house and that's when all the trouble starts. The family fights for their lives until "purge night" ends.

Ehhhhh

Was "The Purge" a warning about the dangers of letting black people into your home, or simply a misguided attempt at a dystopian social commentary? Well, what I believe writer/director James DeMonaco was trying to do with this film, was create a story with the feel of something similar to Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", even though what "The Purge" turns into is nothing more than an average thriller, with a hint of pro-NRA rally cry.
Synopsis: It's the year 2022 and we are a nation reborn! Crime in the United States is at 1% and people are supposedly the happiest they've ever been due to the emergence of a regime known as The New Founding Fathers, who have taken over as the new government. And their most mind boggling decree surrounds opening the flood gates of crime for one night a year, allowing for a 12 hour period where all crime (mainly murder) is legal. The theory behind said mandate is stated that by allowing people to commit crimes for one night out of the year, this gives individuals the chance to "purge" all of the hate that they've built up inside. Though it is alluded to early on, that said Purge is just an excuse to kill the indigent, as these are the usual targets since they don't have the financial means to protect themselves. OK, so while everything I've written so far sounds interesting on some level, that's not really what DeMonaco chooses to focus on. This narrative concerns an insanely wealthy man named James Sandin (played by Ethan Hawke) and his family who live in a mansion, as they ready their "impenetrable" security system for the annual purge. Even though they choose not to participate in the nights events, they show their support by displaying blue flowers in their front yard. But, when the middle of the night brings a homeless and bloodied man pleading for sanctuary to their front door, followed by a psychotic and very elitist gang, who all look like extras out of "Cruel Intentions", the Sandin family will spend the rest of the night fighting for their lives.
Even though it was not the film I was hoping for, "The Purge" does work, delivering an intriguing setup and events which will hook its viewership, no matter how slightly. That said, there are some headshaking flaws concentrated in this 85 minute movie. "The Purge" does step over the line of visual creepiness into visual silliness repeatedly. I am mainly referring to the shots from the trailers of the psychotic gang skipping around the front lawn with butcher knives and swinging on swings. As for the dialogue, it was way too on the nose at times. And though the ending was not bad enough to spoil any macabre atmosphere DeMonaco brings about, it quickly plunges a portion of "The Purge" into a high octane action film, to which the movie never tonally recovers.
Something to keep in mind while watching this: The entire plot is from the perspective of a very rich Atherton-esque family living in a gated community; hence the scope is very narrow. That is to say, we don't really get to see anything beyond the gates, or what percentage of society is for or against the annual night of murder. And thus comes the major flaw of this film; i.e. taking a large scope concept and restricting it to a small cul-de-sac.
Final Thought: All I heard in the days leading up to my watching of "The Purge" was how the movie was all premise and no substance. I'm here to say that that statement is not altogether true. As "ludicrous" or "offensive" as this attempt at an allegorical social thriller may sound to some, I cannot deny that my interest was kept for the full runtime, even through a "Die Hard"-esque climax and predictable ending. For me, the Twilight Zone-ish premise was quite compelling, but definitely would have worked better as either a short film or in a massive world-wide narrative. And because "The Purge" falls somewhere in between those two, it conceptually suffers more than need be. All in all, the high hopes I had coming into this film where not totally obliterated, but sadly "The Purge" not working as a horror or a fully functioning thriller, ultimately relegates it to only a slight recommendation.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

The Purge has an absolutely unique and surprising premise for a thriller and manages to maintain audience interest throughout its brisk 85 minute running time, but too many stupid characters doing dumb things keeps it from being the smart and satisfying thriller it could have been. This film has some good social commentary laced inside the home invasion thriller, a genre I admit to being more kind to than most people. Something about those kinds of films just gets me. All this said, The Purge could have been the best of the best if done right, which makes it a little disappointing that it isn't completely satisfying. The violence is extreme and brutal and the film has a great look to it and manages to raise the pulse, but there are too many moments where characters come out of nowhere to save one another and it gets repetitive and predictable. The entire film would not have even happened had the kid not been so stupid and opened up security system in the first place. Who gives the code to a kid when you know The Purge is happening that night? I change that thing and tell no one except my spouse. Unfortunately, this kid manages to do multiple things after this that are just outright stupid and had me shaking my head. The screenplay needed a little more work. The acting is still largely good, but especially Rhys Wakefield who is downright chilling as the leader of the gang trying to get in the house. He doesn't go too over the top, which he easily could have. The film really makes you think about society and how we view violence as a whole. I really thought it was smart in this manner. Ultimately, I did enjoy The Purge quite a bit, and looking at its first weekend box office totals it is clear that this is going to be a major hit because of how unique and presentable the premise is, but it could have been even more.

When I first saw a trailer to this I immediately thought of "The Strangers". That's one of the best home invasion movies ever, and this looked like it could be just as good. But this isn't really a horror movie like that is. Instead, this is more along the lines of the Bruce Willis movie "Hostage". It has a couple "gotcha" moments, but it's never really a "scary" movie. For those that don't know this is the year 2022 when crime is at 0 percent because of one night a year called The Purge. It's one night where all crime is legal, including murder, so people can purge all their violent needs. Ethan Hawke play a salesman who sells security systems for this one night. On this Purge, his son sees a man in danger and lets him into the house. Once inside the group that is after him, comes to the house, and says to give up the man or they will kill them all. All the performances are done good, especially Rhys Wakefield as the "leader" of the bad guys. He's the most polite crazy guy since "Funny Games". This movie clocks in around 80 minutes, so it's very short, and it breezes by quick. Decent flick, just don't expect another "Stangers".

'The Purge' is an appropriate title, considering this movie is a regurgitation of familiar plot devices. The actual concept of the purging event could've served as the foundation for a great movie, but instead serves as the setting for a 'Straw Dogs' knockoff. There's little emotional attachment to the characters in the movie, and the only moments of anticipation occurred when I was anticipating the end of the film. Some of the action sequences are entertaining, but overall, this movie is not worth wasting your time on. Grade: D

You know want frustrates me more than a flat-out terrible film? A film that has so much potential and never utilises it once. ''The Purge'' is unfortunately a typical home invasion film, with an unfocused script and lame characters.