Great set-up becomes a routine (although very well done) siege film

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2018)

Writer/Director James DeMonaco provides a dynamite set-up with the opening title card that reads, "America. 2022. Unemployment is at 1%. Crime is at an all-time low. Violence barely exists. with one exception..." That exception is The Purge. A government sanctioned annual 12-hour period in where all criminal activity, including murder, becomes legal. It's an insane premise that's ripe for unhinged Devil's Night mayhem along with all sorts of possibilities for commentary on society, politics, economics, ethics, and human nature. What's disappointing is that doesn't explore it's thematic potential and is instead a fairly routine siege film. The story follows wealthy home security salesman Ethan Hawke and this family on Purge Day, hunkering down when they find themselves the target of a well armed group trying to get in. There are some thematic nods regarding the economics of the haves and have-nots, but it never really goes all that deep. Despite my disappointment in terms of unexplored thematic potential, "The Purge" is a well done exciting and suspenseful siege film. It's not up to John Carpenter "Assault on Precinct 13" standards, but it's leaps an bounds better than Bruce Willis' "Hostage" or WWE's "The Day." The film also benefits from a stronger than average cast for a genre film, which besides Hawke also features Lena Headey as his wife. Rhys Wakefield, who was previously unknown to me, is also very memorable as the "Polite Leader" of the group trying to get inside their home to murder a homeless man their young son has given shelter to. And one bit of film geek casting that had me giddy was the casting of character actor Chirs Mulkey as one of Hawke's neighbors. Given the film's modest budget, it understandably couldn't have had the scale that the story premise could have lent itself to. According to IMDB, writer/director DeMonaco said that if he ever got a chance to do a second film, it would be more like "Escape from New York." He's since made two sequels and a fourth is in the works, so I can only hope that the sequels are worthy that build up (I'm actually very excited to watch the sequels now). Overall, even though the film's subtext is left largely left unexplored and the siege elements of the film were very familiar, the strong cast, the unique story premise, and DeMonaco's tight, suspenseful direction make "The Purge" a real winner for genre fans.