The Purge Page #2

Synopsis: In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director(s): James DeMonaco
Production: Universal Pictures
  1 win & 6 nominations.
 
IMDB:
5.7
Metacritic:
41
Rotten Tomatoes:
38%
R
Year:
2013
85 min
$64,400,000
Website
8,704 Views


think about it.

Hey, give that back.

Are we in the zoo?

Fine,

I want this.

Hey, look at this.

Mr. Sabian and Mr. Barbero

are going hunting.

That's daring.

I didn't know they were

going to Purge together.

Are they friends?

Hmm. The Ferrins

are having a party.

Grace said she wasn't

having a party this year.

Just thank God

we weren't invited.

She's nice. But, wow,

she's annoying.

All right, let's get

ready for tonight.

As always,

just a precaution.

All right,

Mr. Cali is starting his lockdown.

Okay.

Are we ready?

All right,

let's hit it.

Okay, Charlie, it's

almost time. Hit it.

Release the beast

and Purge in our American streets.

Your New Founding Fathers

encourage your participation.

This is not a test.

This is your

Emergency Broadcast System

announcing the commencement

of the Annual Purge

sanctioned by

the U.S. Government.

Weapons of

Class Four and lower

have been authorized

for use during the Purge.

All other weapons

are restricted.

Government officials

of ranking 10

have been granted

immunity from the Purge

and shall not be harmed.

Commencing at the siren,

any and all crime,

including murder,

will be legal for

12 continuous hours.

Police, fire and emergency medical

services will be unavailable

until tomorrow morning at 7: 00

AM when the Purge concludes.

Blessed be our

New Founding Fathers

and America,

a nation reborn.

May God be with you all.

Okay, kids.

I know bad things do happen tonight.

But we can

afford protection.

So, we'll be fine, just like always.

No worries.

Okay? Okay?

Can I go now?

I would prefer to be

miserable in my room.

Of course you may.

Thank you for being here.

Where are you going,

bud?

Hey.

Charlie.

Why don't you guys do it?

Because we don't feel the need to, Charlie.

That's all.

So, if you felt

the need to,

you would kill

someone tonight?

Look, I know this is difficult

to understand at your age,

but tonight allows

people a release

for all the hatred and

violence and aggression

that they keep up

inside them.

Okay? And yes,

if your mother and I were so inclined,

uh, we would participate.

Because it works.

You don't remember

how bad it was, Charlie.

The poverty,

all the crime.

This night

saved our country.

Hey...

Why don't you go relax?

We're all done here.

I've got some paperwork

to process to get my bonus.

Then we should watch a

movie later with the kids.

Jesus, Henry!

You scared

the hell out of me.

Wait,

what are you doing here?

I wanted to surprise you.

So, I snuck in

when you were eating.

Baby,

you can't be in here.

My dad will lose his mind

if he sees you here now.

Come on.

Aren't you happy

to see me?

Of course.

We're looking at some

live feeds from around the country

and discussing the Purge with

criminologist Tommy Aagaard.

Thanks, Nicole.

Now, is the Purge really

about releasing aggression

and containing violence,

or is it something else?

Purge detractors

often postulate

this evening is actually about

the elimination of the poor,

the needy, the sick.

Those unable

to defend themselves.

The eradication

of the so-called

"non-contributing members"

of society,

ultimately unburdening

the economy.

Is the Purge

really about money?

Either way, crime is down.

The economy is flourishing.

I can't do this.

Um...

Did I do something?

No. I... Um...

I just...

I didn't come here

to see you.

I came to see

your father.

What? Why?

It's time

to straighten this out.

He cannot forbid you

from seeing me.

That's crazy.

It might be crazy,

but he's not going to change his mind.

He thinks

you're too old for me.

Talking to him is only going

to make him more angry

and he'll make it

more difficult for us.

I promise everything

is gonna be okay.

America was collapsing.

A quadruple dip recession

followed by a full market crash.

A skyrocketing debt,

multiple wars

and a significant

dollar devaluation...

All precipitating

the worst economic disaster

in the history

of the United States.

Crime and poverty

rose exponentially,

and the New Founding Fathers,

just months after being elected

came up with

this audacious notion,

the decriminalization

of murder for one night.

A lawful outlet

for American rage.

A way to contain crime.

The undeniable fact is,

this is working.

I thought

I heard gunshots.

A couple of streets back,

maybe?

Gunshots are gonna happen tonight, okay?

It's nothing.

It's probably somebody just

firing off a few rounds

before going hunting.

Come on.

Let's go relax.

Hold on.

Look.

He can't kick me out.

He's gonna be forced to

listen to what I have to say.

I don't know.

One on one.

Man to man, no BS.

I'm gonna explain to him that sure,

I may be older,

but you're also

very mature.

So age difference

is not a problem.

I'll tell him

how much I love you.

10 years ago,

we could barely afford rent.

Now we're thinking about buying a boat.

Crazy.

Yeah... Uh-oh.

This one has

a car garage.

Who needs a car on a boat?

They're coming after me.

They're gonna kill me!

Can anyone hear me?

Help me!

Someone, please, help me!

They're coming

after me, all right?

Can anybody help me?

Please. They killed...

I just need to get

somewhere safe.

Does anybody hear me?

Look, I won't hurt you!

I don't want to die.

I don't deserve this.

Why won't anybody help me?

I just need somewhere to hide.

Somebody, please, just open the door for me.

They're coming, they're coming.

Somebody, please!

They're gonna kill me!

What the hell?

Come here!

Let's go!

This way!

Come on!

Hurry!

Come on! Hurry!

What the hell?

Charlie! Zoey!

This way! Hurry!

Go! Go!

Hurry!

What the hell

is going on?

Mr. Sandin.

James, he has a gun!

Henry has a gun!

Oh, my God!

Henry!

Henry! Henry!

Oh, God!

James. Are you hit?

I didn't hit Zoey,

did I?

I think she's okay.

Zoey! Zoey!

Charlie, come here.

Mom, what's going on?

Charlie,

where is he, huh?

Where's the man?

I don't know.

I don't understand.

Who is he?

Why did you let him in our home?

He was hurt. He called for help.

No one was helping him.

Charlie, Jesus Christ.

What the hell? Huh?

We have no idea what

this man is capable of.

Enough.

Enough, James.

He's gone.

We don't know what Henry might do.

And we're not safe out here.

We don't know where Zoey is.

You're right.

Let's go. Come on.

Come on,

come on, come on.

Let's go. Let's go.

Henry! Henry.

Hang on.

Henry!

Come on.

Henry?

Okay.

Here's the plan.

You two stay put here,

and I'll just...

I'll go out there

and I'm gonna find Zoey

and I'm gonna

bring her back here.

Henry tried to kill you.

James...

I know. Mary, I got

to make sure she's okay.

Okay? I have to.

He didn't shoot at me.

I'll find her,

I can go. I'll be fine.

No, no, no...

I can't let you go

with that man out there.

Okay?

I can't let you do that.

Baby, I...

Let me go get her.

You just stay here

with Charlie. Okay?

You be careful, okay?

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes

James DeMonaco

James DeMonaco (born 1969) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the Purge franchise, writing and directing The Purge (2013), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), and The Purge: Election Year (2016).DeMonaco's first produced screenplay was the Robin Williams comedy Jack (1996), directed by Academy Award-winner Francis Ford Coppola. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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