Blumhouse Productions
What it's about:
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do?
Over the course of one family's night, four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home.
In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help.
It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of legal punishment. On this night, plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.
What the critics said:
Gimmicky chiller lacks the robustness and distinction needed to support its social-commentary ambitions.
- Neil Young, Hollywood Reporter
That old horror-movie standard, a homestead besieged by psychos, gets remixed with a bit of Occupy-era class-conflict satire in the disappointing future-set thriller The Purge.
- Leslie Felperin, Variety
You won't believe that any part of it is even remotely plausible, but you'll go along with it enough to get a few thrills.
- Eric D. Snider, Twitch
Honestly, this is not a high-quality movie. The script has gaping plot holes, and you need to suspend your disbelief. But it does encourage people to talk about violence. While 'The Purge' may not be entertainment, I can say it's thought-provoking.
- Linda Cook, Quad City Times
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do?
Over the course of one family's night, four people will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home.
In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help.
It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of legal punishment. On this night, plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.
What the critics said:
Gimmicky chiller lacks the robustness and distinction needed to support its social-commentary ambitions.
- Neil Young, Hollywood Reporter
That old horror-movie standard, a homestead besieged by psychos, gets remixed with a bit of Occupy-era class-conflict satire in the disappointing future-set thriller The Purge.
- Leslie Felperin, Variety
You won't believe that any part of it is even remotely plausible, but you'll go along with it enough to get a few thrills.
- Eric D. Snider, Twitch
Honestly, this is not a high-quality movie. The script has gaping plot holes, and you need to suspend your disbelief. But it does encourage people to talk about violence. While 'The Purge' may not be entertainment, I can say it's thought-provoking.
- Linda Cook, Quad City Times