The Purge - Die Säuberung

The more original the premise, the more stupid is the film's execution thereof. The whole second half is one big mess, with clichés piled on top of clichés. If you still enjoy watching the classic, old situation we’ve seen a thousand times – the final villain's final blow is about to come, and lo and behold, the last-minute rescue is here – help yourself here, you'll see it in about five cases, with slight variations depending on what weapon they happen to be holding. Not to mention that the main characters act like blithering idiots. And if you think about it a bit and take it to its conclusion, the premise is actually nonsense. I’m surprised someone as smart as Ethan Hawke went for it. (11.08.2013)

I had problems with this film ever since its first trailer. The premise, which most viewers say is a “good idea”, is utterly stupid and my political science self immediately reaches the conclusion that such a regime could not function and prosper. To pose as a liberal democracy for 364 ½ days, only to implement some Hobbesian natural state for 12 hours is so politically, philosophically and morally bonkers and unconvincing that I can’t avoid mentioning it. But whatever, I don’t evaluate films only on the basis of their premise, I try to adapt to the rules of their world. With that in mind, The Purge works nicely until about the moment the time the attackers had given the Hawkes expires. When the aggressors break into the house, the entire structure collapses like a house of cards, only so heroes and villains can clash and destroy each other one by one. A really brilliant tactical performance by the attackers :-D … By the end, the creators come up with a pretty interesting twist, though not very convincingly executed. The Purge is pretty well made and, despite its problematic premise, it manages to be effective and generate tension for about half its run. It’s a pity that, especially by the end, its socio-critical line feels so ridiculous. (28.07.2013)

If you're serving up this sort of exploitation inside a single house, you have to be damn careful how interesting your protagonists are and how believable their actions are. Otherwise, the fact that you will actually defend the pious idea of many ultra-right followers. (05.07.2016)

Eine kolossale Zeitverschwendung und Vergeudung einer interessanten Idee. Etwas Säuberung bräuchte da insbesondere dieser Typ aus Monaco, vielleicht würde es ihm dann gelingen, mindestens eine Wendung in den Film zu quetschen, die ich selbst mit einer Axt im Schädel nicht erraten würde. Das schauspielerische Death Match zwischen den Herren Hawke und Wakefield endet mit einem wunderschönen Unentschieden. Ich spürte den Drang, beiden eine Billardkugel in die Nase zu rammen. 15 Minuten am Anfang plus die Untertitel zum Schluß wirken doch recht schön. Ansonsten Mumpitz. (13.08.2013)

Obwohl es eine schwere Routine ist, ist es insgesamt eine ziemlich anständige entspannende Unterhaltung. Außerdem mit einer feinen Besetzung, einem frostigen Abschlussdrittel und einer unerwarteten Überraschung. Schade sind jedoch einige Motive einzelner Mitglieder der Hawke-Familie (insbesondere des Senators) und das leicht ungenutzte Potenzial des Themas. Aber dank des Erfolgs werden wir vielleicht mehr darüber im Fortsetzung mit dem Untertitel Anarchie erfahren. (15.07.2013)

Thematically, it’s very interesting and original, but there are a lot of unfinished things. Firstly, it is terribly predictable, you already know in advance how it will all end, because from the very beginning you have absolutely clear and obvious hints. You can predict who will kill whom and how, and of course there is a range of scenes where everything is almost decided, only the final blow is missing, and of course a savior appears somewhere around the corner and foils all the villains' plans. These clumsy tricks bothered me the most. Technically, it's relatively okay, and the acting is mostly fine. The characters sometimes behave illogically, though – a script error. The theme of purification is quite interestingly handled, with the right "political-social" undertones and a reference to social segregation (rich vs poor/good vs bad people) also well done. Surprisingly, I expected it to be more like a technically and dramaturgically shallow thriller without a twist or ideas. It turned out like this, and it's not completely terrible, just once is probably enough. One of many additions to the genre. (25.08.2013)

Almost like John Carpenter. Good idea, good execution, B-movie atmosphere, but there's still some food for thought, however far-fetched it may seem at times. Why not? Plus, this universe definitely has the potential to be developed, so we'll see if I can get to the other episodes in time. (20.07.2019)

The premise is as amazing as a beer oasis in the Sahara (yeah, that's how miserable horror movies are today) and the filmmakers manage to create a believable atmosphere of fear and moral dilemmas a couple of times, but why is it such a B-movie in the end? A generic home invasion template is the last thing I would want to see when imagining a disjointed killing spree in the lawless streets of a big city, especially with such a good cast and potential for craftsmanship. The following episodes are even more stupid, but the third one at least is satisfyingly funny and properly morbid, this one is just a hopeful and big-headed failure. (28.10.2013)

pffffff the trend of smuggling sociological dilemmas and allegories into exploitation has definitively found its limit. The most idiotic concept to be seen this millennium, depicting the situation of DeMonaco's homegrown theory that vomiting out everything negative in 12 hours will keep the light in the survivors' souls for the length of the year doesn't work. Bravo. The incessant criticism of the American mentality doesn't much appetize either, given that it relies on a non-existent phenomenon, and the infinite inanity afflicting even the characters, where you don't know if you should feel sorry for half of Ylvis, Ethan Hawke, or Lena Headey for what they're putting their talents to under to this rockin’ good idea. It's good enough for three stars because of the disruption of the murder formula in the last third and the sense that you don't get this kind of obscurity in your living room all that often, but the imbecility is painful. (19.11.2013)