The Purge (2013)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
James Sandin	Ethan Hawke	½
Mary Sandin	Lena Headey	½
Zoey Sandin	Adelaide Kane
Bloody Stranger	Edwin Hodge	½
Polite Leader	Rhys Wakefield	½
Henry	Tony Oller	½
Mrs. Grace Ferrin	Arija Bareikis

Review

This cross-breed between The Stepford Wives and Funny Games presents a preposterous premise, but has a compelling edge and a touch of black comedy that gives it life and sets it apart. The setting is a near-future America where the economy is flourishing and the crime-rate is at a record low thanks to an annual "Purge" - 12 hours in which any crime is permitted and all emergency services are off duty. Security systems salesman James Sandin, played by Ethan Hawke, is getting his family locked down and ready for the purge when a couple of unforeseen incidents change the odds. Purgers are about, and it's going to get bloody. It's also going to get thematically both messy and interesting, because The Purge raises moral discussions that may not be a hundred percent relevant and believable, but that in the end are far more cleansing and restoring than the film's "purge". Because as opposed to the aforementioned Funny Games, writer/director James DeMonaco actually has faith in humanity, which is always a plus given the fact that it's mostly humans watching movies. Paraphrased: After half-an-hour's worth of agonizing, delicious brutality, the finale is a life-affirming non-violence knock-out - an in-your-face victory for pacifism and "mother-fucking peace".