Echoes of The Twilight Zone; nice try but no sale

Rating: 7/10 (16 June 2013)

THE PURGE (2013) **1/2 Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Arija Bareikis, Tom Yi, Chris Mulkey, Tisha French. What Ifsci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future where America is at an all time low on crime with one 12 hour day allotted for all to 'purge' their violent tendencies without repercussions leads to a test of conscience and free will for a successful security system salesman (Hawke) and his family when they unwittingly come to the aid of a man under attack allowing him refuge with dire consequences. Echoes of "The Twilight Zone"'s "The Shelter" and "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" with more visceral thrills and less thought provocation. What that classic TV series managed to convey in under thirty minutes this film trips up in under ninety. Nice try. Written and directed with verve and here by newbie filmmaker James DeMonaco.