The Purge is a dystopian movie based on legalizing crimes to release all negative energy and hatred. People were able to commit all crimes including killing during a 12-hour period which was said to be a way to “cleanse” all of the built-up anger. Not only were people killing people or families that they disliked, they also targeted people who were vulnerable. This a dystopian film because the government believed that killing for at least once a year was beneficial for growth and healing.
I would argue that The Purge explores the ideas of “survival of the fittest” and the rich vs the poor. The Purge displays ‘survival of the fittest” because if you did not have big fancy equipment to protect your home then you were more than likely to be attacked. Although the family in the movie had their home raided towards the middle of the movie, the security that was equipped in their home was pretty sturdy. The movie also displays the rich vs. the poor. In the movie, it tells us the many of the homeless were targeted and killed because the rich did not like the way the poor made the rich community look. In the beginning towards the middle of the movie, there was a stranger (a homeless man) running, screaming for help. Many would question why was he not somewhere safe? But when you do not have the same funds as the richer community, then where do you go? This man was targeted just because he was a homeless man.
During the climax of the movie where the rich family was attacked, another group of people came to “help.” This was a huge plot twist in the movie because the people were not actually trying to help, they were jealous neighbors who wanted revenge. These neighbors believed that by participating in The Purge, they could be cleaned of their jealously.
