Taglines: One night a year all crime is legal.
James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) is a wealthy home security salesman who lives in a nice neighborhood in the streets of San Francisco, 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 and the glasses are connected to the camera, causing Charlie to see everything in front of the RC Car.
Zoey goes to her bedroom, where she finds Henry, who snuck 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. Later an Emergency Broadcast System message appears on television, telling America the rules of the Purge and that all police, fire, and hospital aid will be shut down for the 12 hour period. Tornado sirens start blaring outside, commencing the start of the annual “Purge”, which is a period when all crime is legal and emergency services remain suspended.
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 and opens fire on James, to eliminate the obstacle preventing 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.
Later, a group of masked vigilantes led by a sadistic man who wears a suit and is known as “Polite Leader” (Rhys Wakefield) arrive at their home, looking for the stranger. The leader emphasizes that James’ family and the “Purgers” have common interests in the Purge, and that they have no desire to hurt “their own people”. The leader reveals that the stranger’s homelessness made him a good candidate for purging, and that James should not impede their right to purge, the leader’s sadistic personality is proven when he kills his best friend (John Weselcouch) just for interrupting his conversation with James.
The leader suggests the family give them the stranger or else they’ll kill everyone inside. James admits 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. Zoey inadvertently stumbles into the stranger when she tries to hide in the same place and he holds her at gunpoint. Mary arrives on the scene and as the stranger’s attention is focused on her, James forcibly takes Zoey from him and straddles him on the floor, pounding his head with a vase and knocking him out. James and Mary tie up the stranger to subdue him, aggravating his wounds, ready to deliver him to the people outside.
After seeing James with Zoey, the stranger sadly tells James to take him 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 the Sandins are forced to defend themselves.
The Purge (2013)
Directed by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Tony Oller, Arija Bareikis
Screenplay by: James DeMonaco
Production Design by: Melanie Jones
Cinematography by: Jacques Jouffret
Film Editing by: Peter Gvozdas
Costume Design by: Lisa Norcia
Set Decoration by: Karuna Karmarkar
Music by: Nathan Whitehead
MPAA Rating: R for strong disturbing violence and some language.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: June 7, 2013
Visits: 77
