A little of the ultraviolence

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2014)

In the future (the year 2022), crime is essentially nonexistent and the unemployment rate is 1%. But one night a year, the country's fine citizens are permitted to commit any crime they wish, without penalty, including murder. It's the ultimate way to blow off steam. Twelve hours of mayhem, and then the population surplus is reduced. That's life with The Purge.
The Purge - the event, not the movie - is sold as a good thing, something that keeps everyone in harmony for the other 364 days in the year. No crime? Almost everyone's employed? All due to The Purge, apparently. Some see it with a more cynical eye, though; those who can afford to defend themselves, their family, and their property against the onslaught of violence will probably be just fine. But those who live in the poorer sections of their city...well, they're there to be Purged.
James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) lives with his family in a gated community. James sells security systems, which as you might guess becomes a lucrative business around the time of The Purge each year, on March 21. The Sandin family has a very nice, expansive house, nestled among a plethora of other "haves." Thus James, wife Mary (Lena Headey), son Charlie (Max Burkholder), and daughter Zoey (Adelaide Kane) feel safe, removed from the anarchy of the annual ritual.
Until, of course, a still-unsure-if-he-supports-The-Purge Charlie decides, after the sirens have signaled the beginning of the madness, to let a bloody homeless man (Edwin Hodge of As Above, So Below) into their home. Ooh, bad call. See, some devout, well-armed Purgers are looking for the guy, and sure enough the Sandins' neighbors have ratted them out as harboring the guy. Does James hand over the man, or do the mercenaries take the house by force? Like You're Next, The Purge centers on a group of people being attacked unexpectedly. James does have weapons, but it's quickly apparent that his security system is more of a nominal deterrent than anything. The villains find it surprisingly easy to get inside. And with the lights out - yep, no power except for the generator that's somehow powering only the multiple cameras - and the family separated from each other, it's utter chaos at Chez Sandin.
Also like You're Next, there's a nifty twist at the end. Sort of makes up for plot holes or just missing information. Here's a question: Since all weapons at Level 4 and below are legal during The Purge (and presumably illegal the rest of the year), how do law-enforcement officials discern whether a higher-grade weapon has been used outside of the annual Purge? It's not explicit in the movie, but I guess crimefighting is just that good in the future. But then I was thinking, what if it's good by virtue of instilling fear in the populace? That might control everyone for much of a year, but when it came time for The Purge, wouldn't cops be the first ones on the firing line? (Note: in a prologue voice-over, we're informed that elected officials have immunity.) The Purge offers some interesting food for thought. Would you be willing to live in a complete police state in order to have a crime-free society with jobs for everyone? On the plus side, you get to steal/vandalize/rape/pillage/murder to your heart's content. On the negative side, you could be the victim of all of that and not live to see another Purge. Kind of a dilemma, eh? But make no mistake, this isn't a movie that dwells on heavy issues. It's a thriller designed to shock and entertain, and to that end The Purge does a bloody good job.