The Purge
A wealthy family barricaded inside its California home must survive a government-sanctioned night of lawless violence without becoming what they fear.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- paranoid
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- halloween movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the legalized-violence premise and social allegory compelling but weakened by predictable scares, clichés, and numbing brutality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
James and Mary Sandin defend their gated home during the legally sanctioned night of violence.
The Purge's legalized violence connects wealthy suburban security with the targeting of vulnerable outsiders.
The threatening intruders wear masks and perform unnerving rituals while stalking the Sandin family.
The annual twelve-hour suspension of law and emergency services frames murder as official social policy.
Films like The Purge, and why
The Strangers
shares home invasion suspense, claustrophobic survival horror, and escalating family peril
Ready or Not
shares socially charged dystopian horror, class conflict, and a night of violent survival
Funny Games
shares family-centered siege tension, masked attackers, and moral pressure under extreme circumstances
Movie Details
- Director
- James DeMonaco
- Release Date
- 2013-05-31
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (9027)
Cast
- Ethan Hawke
- Lena Headey
- Max Burkholder
- Adelaide Kane
- Edwin Hodge
- Rhys Wakefield
- Tony Oller
- Arija Bareikis
- Tom Yi
- Chris Mulkey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Purge about?
- A wealthy family barricaded inside its California home must survive a government-sanctioned night of lawless violence without becoming what they fear.
- What is The Purge like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Purge as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Purge violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Purge as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Purge?
- Critics generally found the legalized-violence premise and social allegory compelling but weakened by predictable scares, clichés, and numbing brutality.
- Which films are like The Purge?
- Films with a similar feel include The Strangers, Ready or Not, and Funny Games.
- How long is The Purge?
- The Purge runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Purge?
- In United States, The Purge streams on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus.
