The Purge (2013)

            In preparation for the sequel coming out soon, I finally watched the original. I liked it about as much as I expected to, and I didn’t hate it as much as the general public did. But there were things I didn’t like. The acting, especially in the beginning, was a little awkward and weird. Maybe it was script, I don’t know. Also, some of the plot did not make sense, and I know that’s the biggest complaint about the movie. For one, I find it hard to believe that a system like The Purge would actually work in society, and I also thought it was unrealistic that people would react so enthusiastically towards it the way they did. Like the family’s neighbors, for instance.

            Ethan Hawke’s character I especially did not like. Again, I don’t know if it was his acting or the way his character was written but I honestly did not care about him, (*Spoiler) even when he died. I thought that Lena Headey’s performance was much better, especially at the end. I really appreciated the fact that her character did not kill the neighbors, even though she easily could have. She understood that just because murder is legal during The Purge, it does not make it morally right.

            That is what I found most fascinating about the movie, and why I did not give it a lower rating. It was an interesting dissection of human nature, and how the absence of punishment can unleash our most horrible tendencies. It kind of disgusts me that people would do terrible things to each other just because they could. There was also the element of class separation and how it was only the rich who could afford to be safe during The Purge. I had not expected that.

            The movie thoroughly entertained me, even though it had some plot holes. I am interested in seeing the sequel, since it depicts life outside of the security systems on the night of The Purge.

IMDb rating: 7/10