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The Purge
James DeMonaco
(2013)
81min
15 Certificate
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Review
Our Score
by
Jeremy Aspinall
Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey play the husband and wife plunged into a long night's journey into day in this absorbing home-invasion thriller. Writer/director James DeMonaco is no stranger to contemporary siege scenarios having scripted
The Negotiator
and the 2005 remake of
Assault on Precinct 13
, but here he looks forward to the America of 2022, where, for 12 hours every year, any crime is allowed with no interference from the authorities. Hawke is a security salesman and the owner of a luxury home-cum-fortress, so the night promises to pass safely for him, his wife and two children. However, a good Samaritan act from his son (Max Burkholder) has them all battling to survive the depraved attentions of a vicious mob of masked murderers. Political and ethical questions loom large here: can legalised murder be justified as a catharsis for society's ills, or is "The Purge" nothing more than an excuse to cull the poor? These issues permeate what is essentially a survival-of-the-fittest tale, which is sustained by convincing lead performances and a memorably scary turn from Rhys Wakefield (reminiscent of a young David Patrick Kelly from
The Warriors
) as the grinning, unnervingly polite leader of the psycho gang.
Summary
The American government responds to rising crime rates by introducing an annual 12-hour period when all laws are suspended, so the people can get violent impulses out of their system. A family takes shelter at home, but when a stranger turns up asking for help, the mayhem outside soon catches up with them. Horror, starring Lena Headey and Ethan Hawke.
Cast & Crew
James Sandin
Ethan Hawke
Mary Sandin
Lena Headey
Charlie Sandin
Max Burkholder
Zoey Sandin
Adelaide Kane
Bloody stranger
Edwin Hodge
Polite stranger
Rhys Wakefield
George
David Basila
Henry
Tony Oller
Freak
Nathan Clarkson
Mrs Halverson
Tisha French
Mr Halverson
Chris Mulkey
Ferrin
Dana Bunch
Director
James DeMonaco
see more
Other Information
Language:
English
Colour
Theatrical distributor:
Universal
Guidance:
Violence, swearing.
Available on:
DVD and Blu-ray
Released on:
31 May 2013
Drama
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