Review by Bob Ignizio
Dystopian survival-horror/action-thriller THE PURGE posits
that, in the year 2022, one
financial crisis too many results in a strange and disturbing rebirth of America. Under the leadership of "The New Founding Fathers", a majority of Americans
agree with their program of allowing a once a year, 12 hour period in which all crime
(including murder) is legal as a sort of societal release valve. This somehow solves not just the
country's financial problems, but more or less eliminates crime the
rest of the year, as well. The Purge, as it's called, is so successful that substantive opposition to it appears nonexistant (at least we don't see or hear any in the film). In fact, it seems that most people treat the Purge
with an almost religious fervor, mouthing party-line slogans about
purifying the soul. In case you didn't do the math, all this is
supposed to be just a mere 9 years from now.
