The Purge Review

The Purge (2013)

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Rhys Wakefield.
Directed By: James Demanco.
Written By: James Demanco.

The Purge is a psychological thriller based in they year 2022 where crime is at an ultimate low due to one night a year, for 12 hours, nothing is illegal. Most upper class neighbours have invested in new security technology which boards up doors and windows with thick metal and a room in the house filled with screens of outside cameras watching the territory around the house. A half beaten up man comes down this street screaming for help and hearing these cries the main small boy within the followed family lets him in, which automatically starts of the chaos of the film as a masked gang of polite, sophisticated upper class civilians' come for his blood. If the man is not given to this gang, to certain death, the gang are determined to go in for him. It's a film of survival and class, but what class will survive?

James Demanco is known for work on the project Jack (1996) which is beyond different to The Purge. This film shows that Demanco's talent is very ranged and can be successful within more than one genre, I believe Demanco is one to look out for, just like many actors in this film.

The acting in this movie has to be just like the movie, real. The cast is very well pick and all seem to fit each other perfectly with the usual great performances from Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, however, nothing compares to the chilling, extraordinary performance that comes from Rhys Wakefield. Wakefield plays a sadistic, psychotic, sophisticated and murderous character, who does it all with a smile that will give you chills. To play a character so smooth and manipulative is brilliant, but to also be able to switch into an angry bloodthirsty human being is incredible, I really feel his performance was award standard.

The movie is set in this clean cut, too-perfect neighbourhood where you expect nothing more to happen than people mowing their already perfectly cut lawn. The good thing is all locations and costumes are still very modern very this yearly style, so the futuristic side is not over done, not thrown in your face and does not ruin the film. The subtle-ness in this movie makes it so very realistic, causing me to both enjoy and respect this movie.

The negative point I have with this movie is the masked gang make an exit far to simple for how they have been shown throughout the first part of the movie.

Talking about the realism of this movie, it's actually quite short which is fantastic because the 12 hour fight is not dragged out, not over played and it's like you've lived those 12 hours with them. The violence in this film, especially close up key points, can cause you to cringe-the blood itself is what looks so real. There is a deep message within this about class, showing the rich beating and killing the poor, talking about them and treating them like scum, like they have these brain warped minds that makes them want to 'cleanse' the world and rid of the lower class citizens.

This movie is one I'm prompting you to watch as much as I humanly can, because the acting itself is worth watching, the messages in it are worth reading. It shocked me, it showed me something new and I loved it! Try and survive through the whole movie, if you survive, you may just find yourself loving it too.

My Rating: 9/10

VF



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