The Purge

Director - James DeMonaco (The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge: Election Year)

Starring - Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers, Sinister), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, Dredd), and Max Burkholder (Babysitter, Children of the Corn)

Release Date - 2013

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Survive the night"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     You wouldn't know it but I review almost every horror movie I watch unless it's a movie I've reviewed before.  The revisit reviews are for movies I reviewed before and they recently received a remastered re-release.  I have the urge to review a movie I've watched even if I watch a horror movie just for fun.  Several years back I watched The Purge as I approached Halloween.  For some reason I did not review it then when first saw.  Which, if I would have then, it would have received a higher score.  A few days back I was sent over the Blumhouse Horror blu set to review and the first film in the set is the 2013 flick that started it all, The Purge.  

     The film takes place during a time when America has an annual purge which is 12 hours where crime is legal including murder.  Many families have paid a large sum to have their home retrofitted with a system that will protect them during the purge.  One of the salesmen has made a fortune from selling these systems to their neighbors which has caused some jealously among them.  When the purge commences he finds his children becoming rebellious and not listening to his warnings.  This opens them up to a night of havoc as their neighbors, a group of spoiled youths, and a blood-thirsty teenager turns their quiet evening into a night of mayhem.  

     The first Purge film did great things.  It kickstarted a modern horror franchise that inspired several sequels, a prequel, and even a television series.  Also, it questionably made genre fans start taking Blumhouse seriously.  I was really impressed with The Purge upon my first viewing but after giving it a revisit I found myself enjoying it but not as much as I once did.  The movie does bring about an interesting concept but it also brings about some rather goofy moments that doesn't fit the overall tone of the film.  The acting in this one is uneven but some of the cast delivers some rather impressive moments.  Hawke and Headey was a bit unimpressive believe it or not.  Their characters were rather weak and they did not deliver a memorable performance.  With that being said, several of the supporting cast delivered some rock solid performances and the characters they portrayed made the film.  The story for this one is an interesting one but it does offer up way too many "what if" scenarios than it could answer.  With that being said, it's enjoyable for a bigger budget pop corn horror flick.  Those looking for a bit of mindless fun will really enjoy it but if you are the kind of person that overthinks everything you will find yourself being disappointed.  Finally, the film has some blood.  The kills are mostly gunshots and the like but the blood looks great and the gags are damn near flawless.  Overall, The Purge is a solid flick but is far from perfect.  If you are looking for something with a moderate budget and a nice polish you will enjoy this one.