Film Review: The Purge (2013)

One of the more interesting horror franchises to emerge in recent years actually began with a film that, despite its marketing, would be better described as a dystopian science fiction thriller with a distinct touch of political satire. Yet, the 2013 film The Purge, written and directed by James DeMonaco, was in strictly technical terms produced like a horror film, and, more importantly, accepted as such by its targeted audience. It is a slick, efficient piece of entertainment that trades on visceral thrills while simultaneously offering a biting commentary on American society, though it often fails to fully commit to the depths of its own insights. DeMonaco’s creation gives fascinating example of how a simple premise can generate franchise life, even when the critical consensus remains lukewarm.

The plot is set roughly ten years in the future, corresponding to our times. All those comparing real-life America with this fictional counterpart are likely to give favour to the latter, at least judging by the incredibly low unemployment and crime statistics quoted in the film’s opening credits. It paints a picture of a utopia where the economy is booming and society is ostensibly harmonious. Yet, there is one big catch that makes the general premise of the film so compelling. Some years ago, America was in such dire economic straits that a political force known as the New Founders took over. They found what seems to be the ingenious way to channel citizens’ frustrations and social tensions into more manageable levels: it is the Purge. One night each year, any kind of crime, including murder, is allowed for twelve hours. Police and emergency services stand down, and citizens are left to fend for themselves. It is a mechanism designed to kill two birds with one stone: it cleanses the streets of the poor and the "undesirables" while providing the wealthy with a cathartic outlet for their rage.

Some people tend to fare better because of The Purge than others, and that includes the protagonists, like the Sandin family. Their patriarch, James Sandin (played by Ethan Hawke), sells security systems, and many of his customers are his neighbours, willing to pay large sums to have themselves and their family protected. The Sandins, which include James’ wife Mary (played by Lena Heady), 15-year-old daughter Zoey (played by Adelaide Kane) and 11-year-old son Charlie (played by Max Burkholder), intend to spend Purge Night barricaded in their heavily fortified home, equipped with video cameras and high-security equipment. Yet, things don't go as planned. Zoey’s boyfriend Henry (played by Tony Oller) has snuck into Sandin’s home in order to spend the night with her. Charlie, watching the security cameras, notices a bloodied Black man (played by Edwin Hodge) who yells that he is being hunted by a gang of killers and pleads for shelter. Charlie takes pity on him and lets him in. However, the Sandin’s home is soon surrounded by that masked gang, whose leader (played by Rhys Wakefield) demands that the Sandins hand that man over, otherwise he would penetrate their house and massacre them all.

American filmmaker James DeMonaco has spent eight years in Paris and later credited this experience for noticing huge differences in European vs. American attitudes towards guns and gun-related violence. More immediate inspiration came from his wife following a traffic accident, when in anger, she said that "she wished that they could kill annoying people one night a year." This anecdote reveals the germ of the film's appeal: the desire to expunge annoyance and inconvenience through lethal force.

The general premise of The Purge – the state abandoning citizens to vicious criminals – might not look that fantastic on paper. The situation in which the Sandins find themselves is not so different from those people found themselves for most of history and in which they still find themselves in many areas of the world, including those in seemingly developed and civilised countries. The Purge, however, gives this concept specifically American flavour. It shows the future regime draping the Purge in patriotic flags and using the same iconography used to justify the Iraq War or defend the Second Amendment. The film is also set in a relatively nice upper middle class neighbourhood and puts a darkly satirical perspective by showing "decent" middle class people allowing themselves to indulge in the most vicious acts of violence, often motivated by petty grievances or racial animus. It suggests that beneath the veneer of civilisation, we are all just waiting for permission to be beasts.

Although DeMonaco tried to tone down some more obvious ideological tropes – the main villain is obviously well-to-do WASP, but his gang includes women, and some of the people involved in killings are also multi-racial – many in Hollywood saw his film as too politically controversial. He had trouble finding finances and putting the film into production. DeMonaco had to settle with a very low budget, but it worked in the film’s advantage. The low budget forced DeMonaco to concentrate on a tight, singular narrative rather than sprawling world-building. It allowed for an efficient runtime of just under ninety minutes, which is more in line with traditional horror films and keeps the tension high without unnecessary fluff.

The general exposition was effective, allowing the film to be very short and more in line with traditional horror films, including gang members wearing masks and being armed with machetes, using iconography of classic slasher films. Yet, film’s true inspiration belongs to the classics like Night of the Living Dead, Assault on Precinct 13 and Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs. Just as Romero's Night of the Living Dead used a zombie apocalypse to critique racial tensions and societal collapse, The Purge uses a controlled social experiment to critique class warfare and the toxic nature of American capitalism. Like Assault on Precinct 13, it creates a claustrophobic siege scenario where a motley crew must survive against impossible odds. And like Straw Dogs, it explores the fragility of the male ego and the brutal, primal violence that erupts when the veneer of civilisation is stripped away. DeMonaco is clearly standing on the shoulders of these giants, even if he doesn't quite reach their heights.

While technically solid, the film looks more like a skeleton something more substantial would be built later on. The cast is good, with Ethan Hawke playing the overconfident paterfamilias who discovers his own incompetence and cowardice. Lena Heady provides a grounded maternal figure, though she is sometimes overshadowed. Rhys Wakefield goes a little overboard as the polite-speaking but menacing villainous leader, his performance veering into caricature territory. The supporting cast does what is necessary, but the characters remain somewhat archetypal rather than fully fleshed-out human beings.

The script does use some clichés – the rebellious teenager, the sneaking boyfriend, the nerdish tech whizz youngest child – and the final scenes, which provide what at first look like deus ex machina, are compromised with a twist that even less discerning audience could have easily guessed. The villain’s motivation is revealed in a way that feels tacked on rather than earned, and the resolution of the family dynamic is handled with a surprising amount of emotional coldness that mirrors the film's general tone.

Despite less than enthusiastic reviews, the audience was there. The low budget of The Purge allowed for more than decent commercial success, grossing over $100 million worldwide. This commercial success allowed for four feature sequels being produced until 2021 and a television series that was cancelled after two seasons. The premise proved sticky enough to survive diminishing returns, primarily because the core idea—that a society might voluntarily choose chaos—is a provocative one that continues to resonate. However, as a standalone piece of cinema, it is better viewed as a polished entry in a lineage of dystopian anxiety than as a masterpiece of the horror genre. It is a clever, cynical, and entertaining film that questions the very nature of safety and civilisation, even if it doesn't always have the courage to answer its own questions.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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