The Purge (2013)
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A wealthy family must survive a night where all crime is legal during an annual government-sanctioned event.
The story
In 2022, a wealthy family in an affluent L.A. gated community prepares to survive the annual 'Purge,' a 12-hour period where all crime is legal. Security systems salesman James Sandin believes his high-tech home security will protect his wife, Mary, and their two children, Zoe and Charlie. However, the family's safety is threatened when a stranger is found outside their home and a gang of masked, armed individuals arrives to demand the stranger's surrender. The family must decide whether to comply with the gang's demands or stand their ground against the intruders during the lawless night.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Set in 2022, the film follows the Sandin family during the annual Purge, a 12-hour period where all crime is legal. James Sandin, a security systems salesman, believes his high-tech home will keep his family safe. During the Purge, a stranger is found outside, and a gang of 'Purgers' arrives, demanding the stranger be handed over for execution. The Sandins refuse and fight back. After a violent confrontation where several gang members are killed and James is wounded, the family's neighbors intervene. The neighbors, who harbor resentment toward the Sandins, capture the family. However, the stranger returns, kills a neighbor, and holds the neighbor leader, Grace Ferrin, hostage to secure the family's release. Mary manages to keep the peace until the Purge ends at 7:00 a.m. The film concludes with news reports highlighting the success of the Purge and the booming economy resulting from security and weapon sales.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 85
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James DeMonaco
- Writers
- James DeMonaco · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ethan Hawke · James Sandin; Lena Headey · Mary Sandin; Max Burkholder · Charlie Sandin; Adelaide Kane · Zoe Sandin; Arija Bareikis · Grace Ferrin; Tom Yi · Mr. Cali; Chris Mulkey · Mr. Halverson; Tisha French · Mrs. Halverson
- Genres
- dystopian; action; horror
- Themes
- social allegory; violence; gun control
- Tone and mood
- tense; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- home invasion; dystopian; survival
- Franchise connections
- The Purge
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, described as a blend of social allegory and home-invasion thriller that some critics felt devolved into clichéd violence.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 41% · scale: percentage · review count: 157; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 33; CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The script was partially inspired by a road rage incident.; The low budget required the film to be set almost entirely within a house.; Ethan Hawke was paid $10,000 upfront and later received $2 million in backend compensation.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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