The Purge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Purge (disambiguation).
The Purge

Theatrical poster (Hospitality Services version)
Directed by James DeMonaco
Produced by Michael Bay
Jason Blum
Andrew Form
Bradley Fuller
Sébastien Kurt Lemercier
Written by James DeMonaco
Starring Ethan Hawke
Lena Headey
Max Burkholder
Adelaide Kane
Edwin Hodge
Rhys Wakefield
Tony Oller
Arija Bareikis
Music by Nathan Whitehead
Cinematography Jacques Jouffret
Editing by Peter Gvozdas
Studio Platinum Dunes
Blumhouse Productions
Media Rights Capital
Why Not Productions
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
Running time 85 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3 million[2][3]
Box office $89,328,627[3]

The Purge is a 2013 American science fiction thriller film directed and written by James DeMonaco and starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Tony Oller, and Arija Bareikis.

Despite mixed to negative reviews, the film grossed $89,328,627 during its run, surpassing its $3 million budget. A sequel to The Purge is in development. The film was turned into a scare zone for 2013's annual Halloween Horror Nights due to its success.

Plot

In the year 2022, the United States has become "a nation reborn" thanks to the New Founding Fathers of America. Crime and unemployment rates are hitting an all-time low due to the government having instituted an annual 12-hour period called "the Purge" during which all criminal activity (including murder, theft, and rape) becomes legal. The only rules during the Purge is that government officials of "ranking 10 or higher" must remain unharmed and usage of weaponry above "Class 4" (such as WMDs) is forbidden. Also, the police and emergency services are suspended during this time and anyone who doesn't follow the rules of the Purge will receive the death penalty. The Purge is designed to act as a catharsis for the American people, so that they may vent all negative emotions and repressed urges however and on whomever they desire, although it is implied throughout the film that the Purge is really just a method of population control, allowing the weeding-out of the impoverished and other people who are seen as a burden on the economy and society in general.

James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is a wealthy home security salesman who lives in an affluent neighborhood in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. James has made a fortune selling home security systems—comprising security cameras and metallic "butts" blocking any possible entrance—that are specifically designed for the Purge. One of the neighbors, Mrs. Grace Ferrin (Arija Bareikis), tells James' wife Mary (Lena Headey) the neighbors have been gossiping that the extension on the Sandin family's house was financed by the security systems which her husband had sold them in the first place.

At their heavily fortified house, Mary struggles with their two children, Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and Charlie (Max Burkholder). Zoey is dating an older boy named Henry (Tony Oller), of whom her father does not approve and Charlie constantly questions the need for the Purge. Charlie has a little robotic video doll on an RC car with a pair of glasses connected to the camera, allowing Charlie to see everything in front of the RC Car. Zoey goes to her bedroom, where she finds Henry, who sneaked into the house before the lockdown to convince James to bless their relationship and figured he could not be thrown out of the house during the Purge. At 7:00 P.M., an Emergency Broadcast System message appears on television, telling the United States the rules of the Purge and that all police, fire, and hospital aid will be shut down for the 12-hour period. Sirens start blaring outside, commencing the start of the annual Purge.

The Sandin family watch the events of the Purge unfold via the video monitors in the lounge. After a while, Charlie is left alone and notices a bloody stranger (Edwin Hodge) outside the house pleading for help. Charlie deactivates the security system and lets him in. James intercepts the stranger and holds him at gunpoint. Henry appears with a handgun and opens fire on James, this apparently having been his plan all along in order to carry on his relationship with Zoey. James fatally shoots Henry, and in the confusion the stranger escapes to hide within the house. Zoey runs off with the fatally-wounded Henry and watches him die. James then goes off in search of his daughter and the stranger.

A group of masked criminals, led by a sadistic man in a suit known as Polite Leader (Rhys Wakefield) approach the house looking for the stranger. They threaten to kill everyone inside unless the family surrenders the stranger, whose homelessness they claim makes him a good candidate for Purging. James admits to his wife that the security system was designed to act as a deterrent, but not to withstand any number of aggressive assaults. Charlie finds the stranger and leads him to a secret hiding place. However, Zoey is held captive by the stranger after she inadvertently stumbles into his hiding place. James arrives and subdues the stranger, planning to turn him over to his pursuers outside. However, the Sandins have a change of heart after realizing they are becoming essentially no different from the Purgers outside. The Polite Leader, seemingly unsatisfied, announces that their time is up. Using chains and a truck the Purgers tear down the metal walls and enter the house, and the Sandins are forced to defend themselves.

James sees two of the murderers in the game room. He kills the first attacker by shooting her in the chest with a pump action shotgun and kills the second by throwing the killer's face down into a pinball machine, then dragging his head against the pieces of broken glass, stabbing his head. Another Purger tries to kill James but James grabs a fireaxe and throws the blade down into the murderer's back, killing him. He leaves the room but is stabbed by the Polite Leader. As Mary is about to be killed, her neighbors led by Grace and her husband (Dana Bunch) come to the family's aid. Mr. and Mrs. Halverson (Chris Mulkey and Tisha French) shoot Mary's attackers and she goes in search of her family. After locating Mary, Charlie and a dying James, the Polite Leader attempts to kill them, but Zoey emerges at the door and shoots him dead. The neighbors then enter the room, having killed the remainder of the Purgers. Although Mary thanks the neighbors, they reveal that they have come to kill the Sandins as the opportunity for this patriotic duty happens to coincide with their hatred for the family's wealth.

Just as the neighbors are about to kill the family, the stranger comes to the Sandins' aid. He kills Mr. Cali (Tom Yi) with his handgun and holds the remaining neighbors at gunpoint. Deciding that too many people have already been killed and to ensure the neighbors live with their guilt, Mary spares their lives. They sit at the kitchen table and patiently await the end of the Purge. In one last desperate act, Grace tries to grab Mary's gun, but Mary beats her face with the butt of her gun and slams her face onto the table. The surviving neighbors and the stranger leave the house and walk away as sirens outside start blaring again, signaling the end of the Purge. The family watches emergency services vehicles arrive outside their home to carry away the murdered Polite Leader's and the Purgers' bodies as well as James' body (where he had succumbed to his wound).

During the ending credits, there is audio from radio broadcasts stating that this Purge was the most successful yet, due to the record high number of murders, with stock markets opening high with increased sales of home defense systems and weapons, and that the Purge will occur as normal the following year.

Cast

Purgers

  • Rhys Wakefield as Polite Leader-1
  • John Weselcouch as Interrupting Purger-2
  • Alicia Vela-Bailey as Female Purger-3
  • Aaron Kuban as Purger-4
  • Boima Blake as Purger-5
  • Nathan Clarkson as Purger-6
  • Chester Lockhart as Purger-7
  • Tyler Jaye as Purger-8

Release

The film premiered at the Stanley Film Festival on May 2, 2013[4] and released in theatres on June 7, 2013 in the United States.[5]

Reception

The Purge received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes records a rating of 38% based on 130 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.1/10 and the site's consensus stating "Half social allegory, half home-invasion thriller, The Purge attempts to use thriller formula to make an intelligent point—but ultimately only ends up sinking in numbing violence and tired cliches."[6] The film holds a score of 41/100 on Metacritic based on 33 reviews, signifying mixed or average critics.[7] The film received a "C" on CinemaScore.[8]

On io9, Charlie Jane Anders described it as "a clunky and implausible political screed in movie form."[9] Entertainment Weekly gave The Purge a B−, saying that it "clearly has a lot on its mind, but it never really manages to express it."[10]

Box office

In its opening weekend, The Purge topped the box office with $16.8 million on opening day and $34.1 million through the entire weekend.[11] The film has collected $64,473,115 domestically and $87,043,336 worldwide, with a production budget of $3 million.[3][12]

Home media

The Purge was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 8, 2013.

Sequel

Main article: The Purge: Anarchy

Due to the success of the first film, a sequel film is in development by Universal and Blumhouse in the near future.[13] On November 20, 2013, the film was scheduled to be released on June 20, 2014.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Purge' (15)". British Board of Film Classification. April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013. 
  2. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (2013-06-06). "Box office: Low-budget 'The Purge' expected to beat 'The Internship'". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Purge (2013) – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 24 August 2013. 
  4. ↑ Kit, Borys. "Ethan Hawke's The Purge to Open Inaugural Stanley Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  5. ↑ "The Purge (2013) – International Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 5 July 2013. 
  6. ↑ "The Purge (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Warner Bros. Retrieved September 28, 2013. 
  7. ↑ "The Purge". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 16, 2013. 
  8. ↑ Subers, Ray. "Weekend Report: 'Purge' Kills, 'Fast,' 'Trek' Reach $200 Million". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  9. ↑ Anders, Charlie Jane (2013-06-07). "The Purge could be this year's most hamfisted political movie". io9. Gawker Media. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  10. ↑ Nashawaty, Chris (2013). "The Purge". Entertainment Weekly (1263): 72. Retrieved 9 June 2013. 
  11. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for June 7-9, 2013". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-06-16. 
  12. ↑ "The Purge shocks with $36.4 million opening at box office". Newsday. Associated Press. 2013-06-09. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  13. ↑ "The Purge has a sequel in development". 10 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013. 

External links

Films by James DeMonaco
Directed / written
Written only
Films directed
Produced only
Television
See also
Films
Company creators
Other
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.