Omg the Purge is one freaky film. Not because it is some sort of fantastic horror that leaves you with nightmares for weeks on end, but simply because of the idea behind it. And the worrying thing is that the more you watch it, the more you think this could actually happen. The more you start to believe that our governments could just force something crazy like this upon us and we would go for it… One freaky film, in other words.
What Is the Purge about?
The idea behind the Purge is that there are two reasons for criminality in the world:
- We have natural urges to be violent and aggressive
- We have “undesirables” in our society that bleed the system dry
The government comes up with a fantastic plan to combine these two issues. As a result, there are not many undesirables left in society and people can get rid of their natural aggressive urges without judgment or punishment. If you consider, for a minute, how current governments are picking on the poor, making them outcasts in society and blaming them for high government expenditure, it isn’t hard to imagine how the Purge could actually be a reality.
So what is the purge exactly? Basically, for one night a year, from 7pm till 7am, people are allowed to murder, rape, pillage or commit any other crime they want to commit. There are three kinds of people left in America:
- The undesirables (homeless people, drug addicts and so on), who have no place in society and get targeted by the purgers
- Those who participate in the purge and actually go out killing during that one night
- Those who support the purge, but don’t want to participate themselves
Those who fall under category 3 tend to sport blue flowers in their window, to show their support, thereby stopping others from attacking them. Although they still have the right to attack, they don’t out of a warped sense of respect.
In the movie, one family has made their fortune providing security systems for homes during the Purge. This family has two children, a teenage daughter with a boyfriend that dad doesn’t approve of, and a young son who is well into electronics and questions the validity of the Purge itself. At the start of the evening, the daughter’s boyfriend appears to have snuck in just before the purge started. Once the Purge starts, the young son notices a black man outside who is screaming for help and he lets them in. The family is now faced with two “intruders” in their home and are suddenly not safe anymore.
What I Liked
The main thing I liked about this movie is that it opens your eyes to what we are capable of as humans. The way the adults and children respond to give situations is very interesting from a psychological perspective. It also makes you wonder how you would respond in a similar situation.
What I Didn’t Like
The acting was mediocre at best. Also, I find the ending leaves things really open and not in a good way. Has anything actually changed? What will the family do now? These are all questions left unanswered.
The Verdict
Although I think this movie will go down the history books as a B movie, I believe it to be worth watching simply because of the way it makes you question your own world views and how it opens your eyes to the needless persecution of the most vulnerable in our society. I say the Purge is one to watch.
Jo-Lo
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