The Purge
2013
*½
Director: James DeMonaco
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder, Arija Bareikis, Tom Yi, Chris Mulkey, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield
In the near future, for one night every year, all crime (including murder) is legal. During these 12 hours, a wealthy family faces threats from the outside and from within their fortified home. James DeMonaco's horror movie has a clever premise, but sadly he is not interested in exploiting any of its intriguing and potentially thought-provoking possibilities. Instead he gives us a conventional and predictable home invasion story with characters who have no psychological depth whatsoever. No person appears to use the Purge for financial gain, but only for an indiscriminate killing spree. The 85-minute running time is pretty much the only positive. Followed by The Purge: Anarchy (2014) and Purge: Election Year (2016), The First Purge (2018), and The Forever Purge (2021).
