The Purge (2013)

Director: James DeMonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Rhys Wakefield, Max Buckholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge
Certificate: 15
Genre: Horror
Awards: None

Set in the not-so-distant-future America, The Purge is a night that happens every year where all crimes are legal. The wealthy Sandin family become the focus of a siege after the son allows a homeless man being attacked take shelter in their house.

Whilst having a great amount of potential, The Purge seems incredibly lazily written with many of the plot points being incredibly unconvincing for the scenario. The main character works in security yet is completely helpless when being attacked on a day when one should have been prepared.

The Purge is one of those films that tries too little at creating tension and fear and instead does the predictable and the boring. None of the characters feel fleshed out and narratively, the third act simply does not pay off. In the hands of a greater talent, The Purge could be riveting but it just simply is not.

**Pretty Bad