Ethan Hawke stars as the head of a family forced to fight for their lives in this near-future thriller from director James DeMonaco. With crime in America spiralling out of control and prison populations soaring, the government of the day implements a drastic new initiative to address the problem. For a 12-hour period once a year, all crime, including murder, is legal, as the police and other emergency services stand down for the night, allowing the population to regulate itself. 'The Purge' is deemed a success due to plummeting crime levels and record low unemployment figures. But after placing their upmarket home under its yearly lockdown, James and Mary Sandin (Hawke and Lena Headey) and their family find themselves under siege from a crazed group of masked killers when their teenage son (Max Burkholder) offers shelter to the mob's terrified prey.