Brilliant

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2013)

I've heard that a lot of people have felt disappointed by this film. Critics as well as the general public. It had a phenomenal weekend. Costing just 3 million dollars to make and netting almost 38 million. The concept must have hooked people. Because in a cinematic genre age of remakes and sequels the rare original flick with the intriguing concept will net a lot of attention even if people come flocking to it for all the wrong reasons. From what I've heard people expected to see something broader concerning the concept, something more action packed and entertaining. What I saw a standard home invasion horror thriller amped up by an unusual twist. Ten years from now in the future a new group is the government and they have authorized all crime legal for twelve hours once a year. Since people are allowed to exorcise all their violent and psychotic tendencies. Crime has dropped substantially as well as poverty and unemployment. Set in 2022 on the day of The Purge a family gets accidentally involved in a "purge hunt" when a young boy lets a wounded victim into their home. As a result a cult of psychotic yuppies targeting him decide to take out their aggression on all of them. If you go in expecting something that's gonna be action packed you will be disappointed. If you go in expecting something that will take the concept on in a broader scenario in which you can witness the brutality across the country you will be disappointed. And lastly if you go in expecting a movie that's going to glorify the violence you will be sadly disappointed. The Purge despite what you may think is a small intimate film that explores the morality of it's concept on a smaller scale to execute a feeling of how everything and everyone is affected individually. It does have broad scope in what it's trying to communicate but is done in a controlled location so it can build characters that frustrate you while you care for them. It makes no subtleties about exploring the bowels of human nature. those feeling that the concept is unrealistic would be right but than again you probably shouldn't see this movie. it's intended as an exercise in taut suspense grounded by a intense observation of the human condition. Furthermore The director smartly orchestrates the situations so that you change the way you feel constantly throughout the film so that you question yourself and those around you. It's a disturbing film. But it's also a brilliant one filled with two strong lead performances from Lena Headey and Ethan Hawke much better here than Insidious. That being said some of the scare tactics are a bit too desperate and come across hammy such as the mask where goons montage and some unnecessary skipping. The twist at the end of the film is the most disturbing part and everything culminates in a way that will leave you speechless. The film runs 85 mins and honestly I'm happy it does cause it ratchets up such disturbing intensity I almost couldn't bear it. It's a taut, unnerving ride that will echo long after it's over. 4/5