Murder Mass-Marketed
By Chris Sabga
For one night, all crime – including murder – is completely
legal. That's the alluring premise behind "The Purge," a
horror-thriller set in the near-future – 2022, to be exact. The Purge is a law
created by America 's
"New Founding Fathers." Before The Purge, violence and poverty were
sky high. Now, crime rates are down to 1%. According to James Sandin (Ethan
Hawke), "The Purge saved our country."
Sandin is a security salesman, and his house is fully locked down – with his own equipment, naturally. He's ready for the big yearly
Purge.
Most Americans view the "event" with a sort of
reverence. Purge Fever is so rampant that entire neighborhoods celebrate by
attending "Purge Parties." On TV, psychologists fawn over the health
benefits of "purging" bad thoughts from your system. Any deaths
incurred on that night are viewed as "sacrifices for your country." Even
James and his wife, Mary, treat the idea of "purging" casually. When
their innocent son, Charlie (Max Burkholder), asks them about it, they admit
they've "never felt the need" to "purge," but their tone
and cadence indicate that it would obviously be no big deal to commit legal
murder. In their minds, he's too young to understand and remember what the United States used to be like.
Just as we're bombarded with suggestions/warnings to
"support our troops," the U.S. citizens of 2022 have been
conditioned to support The Purge.
While the film starts off as a wicked satire, there is a
constant layer of tension and unease lurking as the audience waits with
anticipation and dread for the 12-hour Purge to begin. Two problems present
themselves soon after the clock strikes:
1. On the monitor, young
Charlie sees a homeless man (played by Edwin Hodge) outside the house running for
his life and begging for shelter. The sweet, naïve boy can't just sit back and
do nothing.
2. His teenage sister, Zoey (Adelaide Kane), is secretly
dating an older boy/man, Henry (Tony Oller), and the idiot has locked himself
inside their house during The Purge because he wants to confront and convince
her father to allow them to date.
As the night unfolds, a group of purgers surround the Sandin
fortress. They're led by a man in a mask (Rhys Wakefield), who makes his
demands known in a very calm but chilling voice.
From there, "The Purge" turns into a full-fledged
horror-thriller – as expected. At only 85 minutes, the pace is brisk; there's
never a slow, dull moment – or a moment to breathe.
Ethan Hawke once again shows his tremendous acting range. In
the
"Before" series, he's loose and easygoing. Here, he's uptight and
constrained – perhaps because he continually denies himself his yearly
"release" allowed by The Purge? Whatever the case may be, his
scowling jowl is very reminiscent of Harrison Ford.
The movie isn't perfect though. About midway through,
Hawke's character makes the kind of illogical decision that could only happen
in a script. In one fell swoop, he morphs from fearful family man to horror
movie Rambo. Some of the masks and mannerisms also border on the ridiculous –
as if they're creepy just for the sake of it. All of that silliness aside, the
"purge" concept is effective and well-executed.
From a psychological standpoint, it is interesting to see
the idea of murder so thoroughly examined. For this family, it goes from an
abstract positive to a terrifying reality they'll have to deal with for the
rest of their lives. Class and financial status are also explored cleverly,
with Hawke's rich patriarch commenting off-handedly about their
"safe" neighborhood and how lucky they are to be able to afford such
top-flight security.
"The Purge" has a few minor issues, but it's the
rare example of a horror movie that actually has something to say.
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