Expected complexity, got something else...

Rating: 4/10 (24 August 2014)

I was curious how this (unoriginal) concept would play out across an entire nation, not just in one family's home. I see that as a filmmaker's missed opportunity.
It's difficult to sympathize with 95% of the characters. Nobody is likable and America is just creepy. The concept itself is still in its infancy. I'm not sure how 12 hours of anything goes mayhem isn't extremely costly in terms of lives, supplies, and property damages etc.. (We're able to check costs on natural disasters and street riots which show massive debts.) So, the provided "justification" for the "purge" is a bit shallow.
The good: Ethan Hawke and Rhys Wakefield. Yes, yes, yes. Ethan has a great fight scene and Rhys shows us how he treats his close friends. I do appreciate the societal parallels - the wealthy being shielded and protected, while the poor remain vulnerable and disposable. It is an ugly truth and I guess this film shoves it in our faces just a bit more. The bad: Everything else.
Note: A much better, futuristic, population control related film with Ethan Hawke, is Gattaca. That one is terrifying.