First of all, I feel the need to mention the fact that I don’t watch horror movies. I just don’t, it’s a rule that I’ve only ever broken for a Jennifer Lawrence movie, and even with that one I waited until it came out for rent. There’s no real reason, not other than the fact that I’m never interested in the plot. My family loves them, so imagine their surprise when, after years of not watching any of this kind of movie with them, I announced that I wanted to go see ‘The Purge’.

We made a trip to go see it opening weekend, and as the trailers started to roll, I hoped that I would like it as much as I thought I would. I liked it more. The building blocks of the new society were clear, and the national participation in the Purge didn’t require too much suspension of disbelief, it was not only legal but celebrated as something that would be healthy. This added with the also realistic reaction of ‘flight’ (or, rather ‘hide’) shown by the protagonists by holing up in their house for the night was enough to make me glad that I broke my rule. Adding the naïve young boy that lets a stranger in so that he can hide away? Hook, line, and sinker.

The horror part of the movie was portrayed very well. For instance, the masked strangers that appeared were clever. Obviously they were well off and, just like their victims, had their whole lives ahead of them. They didn’t want to be tracked down for the next year, and the masks themselves were pretty creepy. There was one scene involving one of the masked strangers where I jumped so badly that I spilled my popcorn all over my friend’s lap.

The film wasn’t short on social commentary, either. It’s stated outright that mainly the poor are the ones that are affected by the Purge, and when you see the fancy security systems that keep the rich safe, it’s not hard to understand.

The storytelling was done well, and my questions were all answered, other than one that didn’t come up until we left the theater. When can I watch it again?