The Purge (2013) Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 (24 June 2013)

*Director - James DeMonaco
*Actors - Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge and Rhys Wakefield.
*Synopsis - Set in the year 2022, "The Purge" is about a family's fight to stay alive during the annual purge - a 12 hour period in which all crime is legal.
*Review - I came into this movie with relatively low expectations. The trailer looked promising, but what can one expect from modern day horror movies but disappointing clichés and poor acting? To my great surprise, "The Purge" turned out to be a frightful ride that showcased the immense flaws in a supposed Utopian society.
All of the actors shined in their roles. Ethan Hawke was amazing at portraying a protective matriarch. Lena Headey and Max Burkholder showed an honest portrayal of characters at odds with their morals. Adelaide Kane and Edwin Hodge, while both adequate actors in their roles, didn't really wow me in their performances. Finally, Rhys Wakefield was truly extraordinary in his role of of the polite sociopath.
I enjoyed James DeMonaco's style. In the beginning, he chose camera angles that one would see in any film. However, as the movie progressed, DeMonaco used jerky and fast camera angles and shots that reflected the characters moods at the time: completely disoriented and unprepared. Scary scenes during the purge were sudden and intense, which definitely upped the scare factor for me. The script had smooth dialogue throughout that didn't venture into unrealistic territory. The only thing that really bothered me was that the film seems too short, with the actual action occurring late into the film. And unless the world changes drastically in the next nine years, "The Purge" would be more effective if it took place in an unknown time in the future, so that humans could truly question whether this would become reality.
The soundtrack was also good. I particularly enjoyed the beginning credits, which played soft music over horrific crimes. It was such a raw and sharp contrast that it got you thinking of what the purge really does to people. Besides that, everything else seemed to fit the movie pretty well, although no other effects really amazed me.
"The Purge" is a terrific film if your ever in the mood for thought provoking horror. While the premise may seem faulty, the movie asks you many questions about morality and challenges you to think of what you would do if the purge was actually in existence.