After seeing the thriller/horror film The Purge, you might find yourself to be a nervous wreck. A sweaty, nervous wreck who just witnessed a terrifyingly, well-paced movie about a family you won’t care about and a killer concept. Literally.
The film, starring Ethan Hawke and Game of Thrones star Lena Headley, is based on the premise of a not-so-distance future where crime is non-existent and the economy is prosperous. Unheard of, right? Things are dandy because once a year, people are allowed to commit any crime within a 12-hour period. Like I said, things are…dandy?
In this deadly utopia, you have the perfect white American family, the Standin family. James Standin is on the top of his game as a security system salesman, and his wife Mary Standin takes care of their two children Zoey and Charlie. The daughter is dealing with boyfriend problems, the son is kind of weird, the dad is obnoxious and the mom hates the neighbors. Typical.
The writer and director, James DeMonaco, developed the characters to make you not care. That’s the point because as the film progresses, a political and sociological undertone suggests that the rich white American family won’t even care about you in the end.
The theme of “the animal inside” has been the muse for several literary figures, but the concept has never been used so blatantly in a blockbusting horror film. The commentary views humans as raging, hateful beings with a desire to kill all that frustrates them. So that guy who cut you off on the highway? Yep, you could kill him.
With this concept, of course class and race are thrown into the mix, especially as the character running from a group of Aryan-type college youths and saved by the son letting him into the house, is black and homeless.
The leader of the killing group was the poster child for a rich white racist, offering a symbolic look on the race relations in America as he called the runaway “filthy swine.” The character, played by Rhys Wakefield, is creepy with his wide grin and speeches of what America is really about. You’ll get the bad kind of chills.
It seemed as if it was going to be another white savior film, but it wasn’t. The nameless black character protected the family, but in the end, the rich white and poor black went their separate ways with only a “thank you” exchanged. The black character was placed in an inferior position, of course, as a homeless person. Probably going to tick off some sociologists.
The Purge will excite audiences, make them close their eyes and jump. A lot. The film built anticipation perfectly. The antics followed the typical horror movie gimmicks, but at least the acting wasn’t that bad.
Scenes followed each other nicely in a fast pace as the family and homeless character sneaked around the house trying to find each other while waiting for the group of rich college kids to break in.
Without giving too much away, the climax of the film was raucous with plenty of gunshots and swinging of axes and, of course, tears for days. You might gasp once or twice. Maybe three times. Okay, four.
In a nutshell, The Purge provided an entertaining and horrifying look into the prevalent themes of class, racism and human nature with exceptional performances from the cast and a good concept. James DeMonaco should have been more careful with casting, and he could have developed the concept more thoroughly. The attempt is something to be appreciated, though.
If you want to grip your seat until your knuckles are white and possibly learn a lesson about modern America, go see The Purge. The only thing you will regret is the inevitable embarrassment you will cause yourself from screaming out loud in a crowded theater.
You can view the trailer below.