THE REWATCHABLES · March 7, 2023
A 2013 horror / thriller directed by James DeMonaco, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
The hosts like the opening credits and news-style setup, especially the dystopian montage.
About 16 minThey joke that the son's bad decision is the catalyst that gets the movie moving.
About 16 minThe initial confrontation sets the movie in motion and raises the tension.
About 16 minHawke kills multiple attackers on the pool table in the film's most rewatchable action scene.
About 24 minThe fridge-hiding beat is remembered as a creepy, effective scare moment.
About 24 minGrace's turn into a murderous neighbor is singled out as funny and memorable.
About 16 minWHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsMostly just a crazy, fun genre movie; the political reading is secondary.
Chris RyanIt may not have been intentional, but later events make it feel weirdly prescient.
Bill SimmonsSome rules are underexplained, but the mystery is part of the fun.
Chris RyanThe lack of detail actually helps the movie feel bigger and more unsettling.
Bill SimmonsYes, especially if Grace got a wilder scene.
Chris RyanThe movie works better staying locked to the house's point of view.
Bill SimmonsYes, a dog would make the house more emotionally engaging and raise the stakes.
Chris RyanThe movie already works, but a dog could have added a great horror payoff.
Bill SimmonsWould rather have family present, even if they are a liability.
Chris RyanWould rather be alone for survival reasons.
Calls the concept one of the best one-line movie ideas and says the hook alone sells the film.
Opening minutesSays the movie works because it combines two unassailable ideas: legal crime for one night and a relentless home invasion.
Opening minutesArgues Hawke's taste and credibility elevate the movie and fit Blumhouse's model.
Opening minutesSays the movie can be read politically, but he mostly sees it as a wild genre idea rather than a deep thesis film.
About 8 minChooses the pool-table fight as the best rewatchable scene in the film.
About 24 minAgrees the pool-table battle is the movie's best set piece and says it feels like a top-tier action scene.
About 24 minEmphasizes that the 85-minute runtime is ideal for a movie like this.
About 32 minSays the early limitations help create claustrophobia and uncertainty about the rules.
About 8 minSays the franchise is successful because each sequel expands the concept in different directions.
About 16 minMocks the boyfriend's plan and motivation, saying his scheme makes little sense.
About 1:04Treats Blumhouse as a smart, highly successful genre machine that figured out the horror business.
Opening minutesSays Hawke is one of the most credible and interesting actors in the movie's orbit, and one of the rare stars with real taste.
Opening minutesThe hosts admire the premise as a classic single-sentence hook that drives the whole movie.
Opening minutesThey frame The Purge as part of Blumhouse's low-budget, high-upside strategy that launched a franchise.
Opening minutesThey debate whether the film is a political cautionary tale or just coincidentally prescient.
About 8 minThey emphasize how the movie works as a contained home invasion story once the intruders arrive.
About 16 minThe hosts repeatedly joke that the kids, especially Zoe and the son, make terrible choices.
About 40 minThe film was made for about $3 million and grossed about $89.3 million.
Opening minutesThe Purge began as an idea from a road-rage incident and a comment about wanting one free murder a year.
Opening minutesThe story is set on March 21st, which Bill notes as a hidden clue in the movie's calendar logic.
About 32 minThe host says the film uses no real explanation for what class-four weapons are.
About 32 minThe movie was shot in 19 days, according to the discussion.
About 40 minThe homicidal women in white were based on the Charles Manson women, per the half-assed internet research segment.
About 48 minThe movie was turned into a Halloween Horror Nights scare zone and maze.
About 48 minBill says Ethan Hawke may have made more money on this than on any other movie.
About 24 minUsed as a comparison for the high-concept dystopian premise.
Opening minutesCited as an influence for the siege structure.
Opening minutesDiscussed as one of the early Blumhouse hits alongside The Purge.
About 8 minAnother Blumhouse title used to illustrate the studio's rise.
About 8 minUsed both as a Blumhouse title and as an Ethan Hawke vehicle.
Opening minutesReferenced in discussing Hawke's awards trajectory.
Opening minutesMentioned while discussing J.K. Simmons winning the Oscar instead of Hawke.
Opening minutesUsed to explain the appeal of lawless, rule-breaking play.
About 8 minHeld up as a more terrifying and effective home-invasion film in some ways.
About 16 minReferenced as another disturbing home-invasion comparison.
About 16 minReferenced in a church action-scene digression.
About 24 minUsed to argue that modern action movies can be too long.
About 32 minReferenced as a tight action runtime benchmark.
About 32 minMentioned in a discussion of channels and marathons that loop films endlessly.
About 32 minMentioned during the Chris Mulkey IMDb walkthrough.
About 40 minBill revisits old half-baked movie ideas that feel spiritually adjacent to The Purge.
About 8 minThe phrase becomes a recurring joke and possible pregame chant.
About 32 minThey repeatedly imagine how terrible the purge would be for their own families.
About 40 minThey imagine purge night affecting NBA games, fantasy leagues, and professional rivalries.
About 1:04They turn a minor role into a long 'that guy' career appreciation segment.
About 40 min“You had me at crime is legal”Opening minutes
“We're going to play the rest of this night out”About 24 min
“You ready to release the beast?”About 32 min
“We should do this.”About 8 min
“The Purge is next.”Opening minutes
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before The Purge, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables
Chris RyanThe RewatchablesREWATCH FAVS
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