What do you do when the judicial system is overcrowded? You make crime legal for one night a year
When the USA is wracked by escalating crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which all criminal activity — including murder —becomes legal.
During this period of time, the police can’t be called and hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without the fear of punishment.
A Bump in the Dark
On this night, an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (played by Ethan Hawke) gated community during this yearly lockdown. He sparks a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart.
Inspired by a Dark Moment
Now, it is up to James, his wife Mary (played by Lena Headey), and their teenage kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.
A veteran of penning gritty screenplays, Director James DeMonaco was inspired after a couple of unexpected events – when he and his wife were almost killed by a reckless driver.
He recalls, “In a fit of terrible road rage, I had gotten out of the car to argue with this guy, and my wife pulled me back. When we got back in, she turned to me and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we all had one free one a year?’ I thought that was such a dark thing to say… but it stayed with me for a very long time.”
Kill or Be Killed
Although James starts out as a flat protagonist, as the film progresses, he becomes much more complex. Hawke was eager to tackle the role. He says, “At its core it’s about how, in the name of providing for your family, you can turn a blind eye to your ethics.”
“James Sandin sees himself as the perfect guy. Then, he finds out that he’s actually out of touch with everything; things are much more complicated than he was envisioning them,” says Hawke.
The Purge (NC16)
Director: James DeMonaco
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey and Adelaide Kane
Genre: Thriller
Run Time: 86 min
Release: Aug 29
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