Sometimes movies come along that take me out of my comfort zone so much so that I’d like to purge them out of my consciousness. Universal Pictures’ The Purge is one that falls into that category. It’s not that it was especially creepy or even all that gory. I can deal with both of those things, and I’ve seen a lot worse. This movie disturbed me because of the concept. It’s certainly not something you see every day.

Apparently, the future United States sanctions the legality of all crimes once per year for a period of 12 hours known as the Purge. Anything illegal – even murder – suddenly becomes legal without any questions asked or any consequences invoked. Additionally, all emergency responders, including hospitals, the police and paramedics, are shut down during the night in question. If you happen to have an accident or medical crisis, I guess you’re left to your own devices until daylight breaks and help can arrive.

The belief is that everyone has pent-up aggression that they must purge themselves of in this “spiritual cleansing” experience of sorts. Going out and killing your neighbors is considered a God-given right and a privilege that you can – and should – exercise annually. Supporters of the cause place blue flowers in front of their homes to show their solidarity on the controversial issue, much as I’d imagine Hitler’s supporters were asked to proudly fly the flags bearing his political party’s swastika so many decades ago.

The proponents behind the Purge, “The New Founders of America,” support their concept because they believe Purging allows society to weed out its “weaker” members. Overall crime, poverty and unemployment dwindle to an all-time low and the government insists that this one night has singlehandedly saved our country … but at what societal cost?

What ends up happening because of the Purge is the creation of more social division. There is a line drawn between those who can afford security and those who can’t. The rich end up treating Purging as nothing more than a sport to be enjoyed during a night of spirited debauchery that you won’t talk about the next morning in more civilized circles. If you don’t like the look of that guy who lives across the street, you’re jealous of your best friend’s new car or if you tend to have some passive-aggressive tendencies, you can have a field day channeling your inner desires on Purge Night.

The “Kids in America,” i.e. those born with silver spoons in their mouths, don masks and go frolicking about with their shiny new toys, ranging from guns to machetes, to kill anyone that strikes their fancy – preying especially upon the homeless. It really sickened me to think that people would do such unspeakable things to others for no apparent reason other than they felt like they were born with privilege.

The movie’s main characters are the Sandins, a wealthy family with an impressive home and a lavish lifestyle made possible in part by the Purge. An aging (but still handsome) Ethan Hawke plays the family’s patriarch who has made his fortune selling expensive home security systems for those who choose to remain indoors during Purge Night. While the Sandins would be considered a bit hypocritical if they didn’t support the right to Purge when it’s the very concept that allowed them to become so successful, they are among the ones who choose not to actively participate in the Purge each year.

However, this year’s Purge goes quickly awry when the Sandins’ young son Charlie, played by Max Burkholder, lets in someone being hunted by a Purging party. Angry that their victim has sought refuge in the Sandins’ home, the reveling Purgers then turn their focus upon the Sandins and the movie takes on more of a home-invasion thriller feel than biting social commentary. While it’s not the worst movie I’ve ever seen and there is a certain art to some of the action/killing sequences, overall it did not live up to the hype for me.

The acting tends to fall flat at times. I love Ethan Hawke, but he wasn’t believable for me until he started kicking some ass, which came too late. The rest of the cast, Lena Headey as Hawke’s wife, Adelaide Kane as Hawke’s daughter and Edwin Hodge as the stranger, were okay but nothing to really write home about. The one exception for me was Rhys Wakefield as the “polite” Purger at their door. He was eerily convincing in his role.

The concept of The Purge is an interesting one, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. I don’t understand how anyone would buy into this type of propaganda (in a post-Hitler era especially). I’m sorry but nobody is going to convince me that it’s healthy to channel my rage one night of the year. I don’t think everyone has this so-called aggression that needs cleansing. While I’d like to forget some parts of The Purge experience, I will say that it makes you look at your so-called friends and neighbors a little bit differently afterwards.