Generally speaking, I’m fond of plot twists in movies – particularly those I can’t see coming. What’s less pleasing is when the twist is followed by another twist that jerks the plot back to where it was expected to go in the first place. In The Purge, that happens at least three times. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, it’s a bland, boring thriller with an overambitious concept and underwhelming execution.
Set in 2022, the story takes place on the night of the annual Purge, a 12-hour period in which all criminal activity – including murder – is legal. For suburbanites “James” (Ethan Hawke) and “Mary” (Lena Headey) the Purge has never been a threat, what with their home’s expensive, hi-tech security system. Of course, something goes wrong, and chaos ensues.
It’s actually a rather interesting concept. The trouble is that it quickly devolves into a mere home invasion story – and a shoddily constructed one at that. It’s filled with so many idiotic twists and turns that it feels like DeMonaco is about to jump in front of the camera and yell “Gotcha!” at any moment. What’s worse, it always delivers the expected outcome, even when it hints at something different.
In addition to being structurally unsound, the film is also just a giant waste of Ethan Hawke, a first-rate actor who has an incredible knack for ending up in third-rate movies. Another disappointment is Rhys Wakefield as “Polite Leader” (yes, that’s the character’s name), who turns his villainous role into an exercise in rabid scenery chewing.
Whether you’re a fan of thrillers and horror movies or not, I don’t recommend The Purge, unless you happen to get a kick out of watching poor Hawke phoning in his performance. Do yourself a favor and watch him in Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead instead.
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