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Film Summary: In the near future, America's society is blossoming; unemployment is at 1%, crime is at an all-time low, and everyone seems very satisfied with their lives. All of this happiness is the result of an annual event known as "the Purge". For a 12 hour period, all crime is legal, and even encouraged. During one such night, a well-to-do family is terrorized by a group of Purge participants after the youngest son gives shelter to their chosen target.
I will admit that I was incredibly excited for this movie! The trailer got me super pumped, and the concept of a world where all crime is legal was quite intriguing. To my dismay, the film failed to live up to my expectations. There was only about two occasions where I felt truly scared, and the "twist" towards the end was really nothing too shocking. The script was less than impressive and most of the characters were so unlikeable, I wasn't too upset when something unfortunate happened to them. It did help, however, that the acting ranged from passable to pretty impressive. Leading the pack is Lena Headey (300, Game of Thrones). Her terrified, compassionate, yet strong and courageous mother-figure allowed me to spare some sympathy for the family's plight.
As for the ending, there was much left to be desired. In fact, there were several factors of the film that left me feeling rather unsatisfied. Many of these stemmed from the universe of the movie itself. Set in the United States during the spring of 2022, it is implied that America's financial and social structure had become so hopeless, that a complete makeover of the country's government was a crucial necessity. Their leaders, simply known as the New Founding Fathers, initiated the annual Purge in order for citizens to "release the beast" (a phrase completely overused throughout the film) and make it possible for society to control their urge for illegal activity and help make their homeland become better place. A controversy circulating throughout this world is that the Purge was not simply a way for people to satisfy their basic, violent urges, but to also eliminate the weak and lower class; thus causing America to thrive.
Who are these New Founding Fathers? We don't know. How was the idea of an annual night of uncontrollable violence and crime able to be OK-ed by the American people? No one is really sure. The movie leaves a great deal, perhaps a little too much, to be imagined. The only reason I would encourage a sequel to The Purge would be if it took the opportunity to expand on the universe of the film, and explain how the New Founding Fathers and the Purge came into existence.
After talking with several other friends of mine who came out of this just as disappointed as I was, all of them said the same thing to me: "I was expecting it to be like The Strangers, but it wasn't at all!" It baffles me that so many were comparing The Purge to Bryan Bertino's far superior, 2008 horror movie, but I could see where they were coming from. Both films primarily play on the fear of home invasions and malicious unknowns with a lust for blood. Yet, there are some key differences between the two that make one much more gratifying to watch than the other.
For one, the situations found in The Strangers are much more relatable and disturbing than that of The Purge. It's hard to envision our own society as it is today that allowing such an event as the Purge to be legal, while the tragedy of Bertino's film could very well be a reality. Also, the reasons behind the antagonists' actions prove which villains are the terrifying. The Ken Doll-masked group of Purgers are intensely scary; taunting their victims by playing out grotesque scenes for the house's security cameras, banging on its metal-plated windows and doors, and eventually proving that they have to power to break into something that was rumored to be impenetrable and viciously take what they want. But in their world, it is their right. Their actions, however horrible they might be, fail to be seen as shocking in that society, and even to the movie's audience at times. The murders of The Strangers are the complete opposite. They have no right, nor do they have any true motivation behind their actions besides the main characters happened to be at home. A large group of wealthy, over-the-top killers pale in comparison to silence and mystery behind the three strangers.
To the film's credit, it wasn't a bad film. It was able to capture my attention for the entire running time, and it did give way to a very interesting and horrifying story idea. But, perhaps with a different screenwriter and a more satisfying ending with actual consequences, The Purge might have been able to live up to the hype it had gained before its release.
FINAL VERDICT: Wait until it shows up at RedBox
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