The Purge

The year is 2013 and the New Founding Fathers have instituted something called The Purge - a 12 hour window in which all crimes (including murder) are legal. This keeps the population relatively peaceful and the country crime free during the rest of the year.

The Sandin family lives in a well off community and their impressive house came courtesy of the security systems Mr. Sandin has sold to everyone and their grandmother. Some animosity about this is hinted at when one of the Stepford-esque neighbors brings over a plate of cookies for Mrs. Sandin for the upcoming lock down.

The couple just wants to sit out the next 12 hours in peace and quiet, not having any bottled up anger strong enough to make them go out an join in the killings. Their kids, however, make a few very bad decisions throughout the night. Daughter Zoey, who is your typical annoyed teenager, is seeing a young man who is referred to as considerably older than her (he doesn't look it, though), that her father forbade her to continue seeing. He tells her that he will state his case to Mr. Sandin and because of the lock down he will have no other choice but to listen. What he really is there to do is to shoot the man. Sandin, of course, is armed (just in case) and apparently the better shot. The shootout coincides with the family's son Charlie letting in a homeless man who is being hunted by participants in the purge and crying for help outside the house.

Soon a group of young people wearing masks is at the Sandin's front door and demands they release the homeless guy because it is their right to kill him and homelessness is not a desired state of being in this new reality. When the Sandin's fail to deliver the would be victim by the deadline given, the group rip off they main security door with a truck and proceed to hunt everybody within the house. Mr. Sandin falls victim to them in the battle spread out over the house. The last of the purgers still standing is killed by the helpful neighbors before he can do any more harm.

The neighbors, however, are not as friendly and helpful as they appear to be. Rather, they saw that the security system had been breached and smelled a chance to cleanse themselves of their hatred towards the Sandin family. Luckily, the thankful homeless stranger comes to their rescue and they Sandin family, together with four surviving neighbors and the homeless man sit out the rest of the night before everyone goes their merry way.

Interesting. Could have been better.

6/10