Imagine a world where unemployment and crime are at an all-time low, but at a price. The price being that for a 12-hour period once a year, any and all illegal activities are considered legal. All emergency services are suspended during this time and citizens (if they choose) can wreak havoc across the nation. How would you choose to spend those 12 hours every year? These questions are at the heart of “The Purge.”
One upper-class family plans to ride out the night of The Purge locked up in their mansion with armored doors and windows. However, a single impulsive act of empathy toward a fellow human being turns what in the past would have been a quiet night of waiting until The Purge was over, into a night full of chaos and bloodshed. Will the family survive the night or will they fall victim to The Purge?
The dictionary defines “purge” as “to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable, cleanse, purify.” I don’t quite understand how the system of the movie is ridding society of impurities or undesirable components by allowing things such as robbery, murder, home invasion, assault, violation and other things you would be arrested for on a daily basis. The concept of the film both intrigues me and baffles me at the same time, but gives way for further exploration. Even though the trailer reveals quite a bit of the story plot, it still begs to question whether the premise of the entire film is plausible.
In addition, check out the poster for the film below. A dark background with a sinister masked individual is almost reminiscent of “The Strangers” and an evil clown waiting to hunt you down, but leaves no other indicator as to the plot of the film.
“The Purge” is written and directed by James DeMonaco and stars Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) as the rich couple and parents to two children who still do not quite understand the process of The Purge. The cast also includes Edwin Hodge, Max Burkholder and Tony Oller.
“The Purge” will begin on May 31. If on one night of the year you could commit any crime and not have to pay consequences, what would you do? Could you survive the night?
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