The Purge

The Purge is a 2013 film based on the future of America. In this future, our government has allowed the people to commit any crime within a twelve hour window once a year. This purge includes murder and the suspension of all emergency personnel.

*****Spoilers Ahead*****

The concept is very interesting and while we accept the fact that this is indeed fictional, we cannot help but wonder the what ifs behind this purge should it become a reality. The movie focuses on the pros of the purge claiming unemployment is at it's lowest, crime is at it's lowest, and the overall economy is flourishing. Morally, I have an issue with the film's strong aggression in supporting the purge. While I understand the need of an explanation and foundation, I felt it was unnecessary to shove it in our faces on how great it would be to legally kill those who drag the country down. It was if they were campaigning for such a cause in real life.

The film itself lacked originality. It was a cross between The Strangers and The Hunger Games and was very predictable. There is no character development whatsoever. We follow a family of 4 who is very wealthy (of course you need a big mansion to set in so the characters have plenty of room to run and hide - total cliche in horror movies). The family is morally tested as the youngest child allows a hurt man to take refuge inside their home. The people chasing him approach the house and now threaten the entire family should they not cooperate. We learn nothing about these antagonists except they are clearly psychotic. They wear freaky "smile" masks (again another cliche) and find a way to break in the house. At this moment, the film picks up in suspense and action as the family fights for their lives. This was rather good but again, very predictable that all the bad guys would be defeated. The main character being killed, however, was a nice touch and I did not see that coming. I like when movies show the reality behind no one being immune to death - even the protagonist.

While the film might have had strong moments of suspense and fear, it lacked character development,  storyline, and emotion. Not enough time passed for us to truly connect with the family. I could not emotionally grasp their situation as the build up was just too quick.

My recommendation: wait for the video and "purge" yourself the cost of an admission ticket.

Rating: C-