A good movie - better than I expected.

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2013)

Well I have to say, I was excited about seeing this movie ever since I saw the trailers to it a few months ago, and after seeing it I wasn't disappointed. The movie is set in the year 2022 when crime is at an all time low and the economy is doing very well, all thanks to 'The Purge', an annual one-night-only "legal" crime spree which happens in March each year. Everything from petty theft to first degree murder is allowed between the hours of 7pm until 7am to help the population "regulate" itself. This is where the Sandin family come into the fray, as James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) has made a lot of money from selling security systems to help people protect themselves on this one night every year from becoming victims of 'The Purge'. But on this particular night, things don't go as they had planned. I liked the premise of this movie, although it probably could never really work, and I liked how this film had me intrigued in what was happening. Some of the characters had me annoyed, but that was because they were obviously meant to have that affect as in the context of the film it becomes apparent to why you feel that way - it all works out in the end. Now some people didn't like this movie (as I read some reviews that said so), but I really liked this film. Gritty, engaging, compelling, and much better than another film called 'TRESPASS' which starred Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman, which this movie reminded me of in some ways. I recommend this film. It does get bloody in parts, which is another reason I liked it. I give it an 8 out of 10.