The Purge | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | James DeMonaco |
Produced by |
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Written by | James DeMonaco |
Starring | |
Music by | Nathan Whitehead |
Cinematography | Jacques Jouffret |
Edited by | Peter Gvozdas |
Production
companies |
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3 million |
Box office | $89.3 million |
The Purge is a 2013 American dystopian horror film written and directed by James DeMonaco and the first installment in DeMonaco's Purge film series. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane and Max Burkholder as a family held hostage during "The Purge," an event during which all crime is legalized for 12 hours.
Despite mixed reviews, the film was commercially successful, grossing $89.3 million, far surpassing its $3 million budget. It was the lowest budget film to hit the top of the box office charts since 1988. A sequel, titled The Purge: Anarchy, was released worldwide on July 18, 2014 to even greater success. A third movie, titled The Purge: Election Year, was released July 1, 2016.
In 2014, the New Founding Fathers of America, a far right political party inspired by the Founding Fathers of the United States, are voted into office following an economic collapse and pass the 28th Amendment which sanctions an annual national civic tradition called "The Purge", the first of which takes place in 2017. The Purge occurs for 12 hours, from 7 p.m. March 21 to 7 a.m. March 22, during which all crime is legal and all police, fire, and medical emergency services remain unavailable. Restrictions prohibit government officials "ranking 10" from being disturbed, as well as the use of all weapons above Class 4 (explosive devices such as grenades, rocket launchers, and bazookas). Violation of Purge rules results in a summary execution by hanging. The Purge has resulted in unemployment rates plummeting to 1%, low crime, and a strong economy.
On March 21, 2022, James Sandin (Ethan Hawke), a top salesman for elaborate security systems designed specifically for Purge Night, returns to his home in an affluent Los Angeles gated community to wait out the night with his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their two children, Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and Charlie (Max Burkholder). The family is assured that the security system manufactured by James' company will keep them safe. Their neighbors attribute the size and fittings of the newly extended Sandins' house to his success in selling security products to them for Purge Night.