The Purge - C

Rated R, 85 minutes

"The Purge" a provocative but dull thriller about class warfare

Ethan Hawke

The new futuristic thriller "The Purge" has one of the most original premises of the year, with a heady plot about class warfare that's played out as a gruesome home invasion film. Set in America in 2022, violent crime and unemployment are at all time lows, supposedly due to one annual 12-hour period called "The Purge," in which any crime becomes legal, as a cathartic way for Americans to get it all out of their system. A wealthy businessman (Ethan Hawke), who sells home security systems, and his family (Lena Heady, Max Burkholder and Adelaide Kane) are put at danger in their own home when they become involved in a tense sequence of events. Directed and written by James DeMonaco, who tread similar ground in "Assault on Precinct 13" also starring Hawke and "The Negotiator," "The Purge" whose provocative, unique premise is undermined by slow, predictable plotting and the silly actions of one character in particular. As a thoughtful essay on class warfare and what is essentially a very violent anti-violence film, "The Purge" is an effective model, though that theme doesn't provide much energy until it becomes a gruesome home invasion film in its final act, where it's less thoughtful and more bloody. Hawke, with jagged teeth and defined facial features, has become an intriguing character actor who can blur the lines between good and bad, and he's well-cast in a film that doesn't do much with him. Alternatively absorbing, boring and mildly entertaining "The Purge" isn't a terrible film and may be worth a look, though it doesn't quite deliver on such an interesting premise.

Wes's Grade: C