"The Purge" (2013)

The Purge has an underlying metaphor so obvious that the film seems to increasingly become self-aware that its whole premise is in service of that metaphor: class warfare. There's an unnecessary literalness to the film that would make it all feel redundant if all that thinly veiled, and not very deep, social commentary weren't in service of a souped-up home invasion horror-thriller. Thankfully the film makes the most out of its premise to create something with a constant sense of anxiety, and it has enough gear shifts in storytelling that it never feels like its spinning its wheels. It's slight but it's also consistently intense and fleet.

Grade: ★★