In the year 2022, the United States is a nation reborn. The economy is good. Employment rates are up and crime rates are way down low. This is all because the government has approved a law called The Purge, wherein for 12 hours, all criminal activity is legal. The Purge acts as a way for the people to cleanse themselves of all the hatred and negative emotions in their hearts. All the victims of the Purge are then given thanks for sacrificing their lives for the betterment of the country.
The very first thing I like about this film is the concept that fuels it. Though the thought of it alone is highly improbable, one really can't help but think of what they will do if they are in the shoes of the characters in the film. More than its genre of being a thriller, it is a film that challenges society's value and morals. The thought of the purge may be very unlikely now but one will never know if it can really happen in the future. The establishing sequence of the film which is a series of CCTV footage of various crimes and murders alone is gruesome enough that one may actually consider the purge as a solution to the problems of society. The film questions the morals of man: would you be a realist or an idealist?
The film, aside from being thematically driven, is character driven as well. It offers a variety of different characters that have their different beliefs and perspectives with the concept of the Purge. James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is a successful security developer that has gotten wealthy thanks to his sales of home security systems designed for the purge. His character is stuck in reality and is thinking of the practicality and logic of things. He is married to Mary Sandin who is the closeted idealist in the family. She follows what her husband says because she trusts him and she believes that it is the best for the family. They have two children, one of them is Charlie whose conscience and ideals have set the film in motion. It is this little dude that opened the door for the bloody strangers that is being hunted down. In a world inhabited by human beings, Charlie is the only character that is humane in it. Though his actions and decisions may be the cause of annoyance from the audience, it further shows his idealistic nature and humanity, in contrast to the people around him. The film has good characterization and character development. As the film progress, the characters that are initially blind and naive are shown to have learned what they needed to learn. The characters' attitude and personality have deeply changed by the end of the film. There is great contrast in their characteristics from the film's beginning until the end.
However, the film is mediocre in the field of thriller and horror. Though the concept may be new, it still relies on heavy cliches and old-fashion tricks and scares that fail to deliver. The film is actually a reminder of the thriller film The Strangers. Though they may differ in concept, the execution and technique is very similar. So zero points for originality right there. Not to mention, it was very anticlimactic. The build-up could have been better but it was good enough for a one hell of a ride climax, but instead it offers us cold and stale performances of the antagonists. I can't blame you if you would expect so much by the third part since you have been led to believe in the beginning that the villains are a force to be reckoned with. There is too much anticipation for nothing. There is a twist at the latter part of the film but that as well is only a slight improvement from its previous problem.
Overall, the crazy concept of the film is the only interesting thing to see here. Don't expect to be blown away with its so-called thrills and horror. It's such a pity for an interesting concept to go to waste. Could have definitely been executed better. High hopes for the sequel perhaps? But do expect a good performance from Ethan Hawke though. The guy just knows how to do it.
Rating: 2/5
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