Image: YouTube
About This Quiz
With its shockingly casual killings and its pointed commentary about the class divide in America, this 2013 dystopian thriller enthralled audiences. Are you a "Purge" aficionado? Prove it now with our quiz!
How often is the Purge held?
once a year
The Purge is apparently held in March (the one that we see is March 21, 2022). The idea that this once-a-year blowing off of steam would prevent violence the other 364 days doesn't really take the causes of human violence into account -- but then, the premise isn't meant to be taken literally.
every other year
every leap year
irregularly as needed
How long does the Purge last?
12 hours
The Purge runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. This might make you wonder -- do people just shower off the blood and go to work at 9 a.m? How do they greet the co-worker they unsuccessfully tried to kill the night before?
24 hours
two days
three days
What plays over the opening credits?
footage from the "Purge feeds"
The opening credits are powerful: as Debussy's "Clair de Lune" plays, we see images of random and brutal violence from all over the United States, including slain bodies lying in a row on a public street with no living people around.
images of the dystopian pre-Purge America
footage of weapons being forged
peaceful images from the suburb where the film is set
Advertisement
In 2022, at what rate is unemployment?
0 percent
1 percent
An economist might say that this level of unemployment is unnecessary, and maybe even economically unhealthy. It suggests an economy in which people are unable to retire, and in which there are not enough people ready to take over domestic jobs in case of war.
3 percent
5 percent
What is the name of the family at the center of "The Purge"?
the Ferrins
the Joneses
the Jacksons
the Sandins
The parents are James and Mary Sandin. The names seem designed to evoke a suburban everyman and everywoman, except the Sandins are maybe a bit wealthier than the average suburbanite.
How many children do the Sandins have?
one
two
Zoe Sandin is about fifteen or sixteen; Charlie is a preadolescent. Protecting the children is a large part of James Sandin's motivation when he does terrible things later, when the night begins to go wrong.
three
none
Advertisement
What group is credited with the idea for the Purge?
a group of fringe survivalists
the House Defense Committee
the New Founding Fathers
Who exactly the "New Founding Fathers" were isn't made entirely clear, except that they were politicians with the power to get their program made into law.
Vince McMahon and the WWE
What do people do on the day of the Purge to show their support of it?
wear a blood-red ribbon
wear a visible weapon on their person
raise a re-designed US flag in their front yard
put flowers in their front yard
The flowers appear to go in a cup submerged in the front lawn, akin to the ones that hold flowers at modern cemeteries. It's symbolism!
What color are the Purge flowers?
blue and white
The flowers are known as "Baptisias." This is a real flower, though not common in florists's shops. And -- more symbolism! -- the baptisia is toxic.
red, white and blue
red only
white only
Advertisement
Who is Grace?
James's assistant
the Sandins' obnoxious neighbor
Grace Ferrin is a heavily botoxed blonde who gives Mary cookies and proceeds to needle her about how much money James made from selling security systems to neighbors. Leading us to wonder: If Grace's cookies were poisoned, would that be legal under Purge rules, if she handed them over before 7 o'clock? The Purge must have given rise to a whole branch of new legal scholarship!
a radio announcer covering the Purge
Zoe's close friend
Which of these services are available on Purge night?
ambulances
the police
firefighting
none of these
All emergency services are suspended, says the public service announcement that launches The Purge. These workers must be standing by, though, because as soon as 7 o'clock strikes, sirens sound and helicopters are in the air.
Who is exempt from The Purge?
clergy
government officials with "a ranking of 10"
It's implied that a ranking of 10 is probably the President, Supreme Court justices, and the like. Is all of the House of Representatives exempted? We doubt it -- there's 435 of them, after all!
police and firefighters
no one
Advertisement
Are property crimes legal during The Purge?
yes
Though the movie concentrates almost entirely on murder -- The Purge is said to give people an outlet for their anger -- the PSA in the beginning says that all crime is legal. But who'd dare to be out looting stores when there are people with semi-automatic weapons on the streets who could kill you with impunity?
no
Who played James Sandin?
Ethan Hawke
Hawke broke through in the early '90s in films like "Reality Bites" and "Before Sunrise." He is also a published novelist.
C. Thomas Howell
Gary Sinise
Casper Van Dien
What is Mr. Sandin's line of work?
he is a doctor
he teaches history
he runs a gym
he sells security systems specifically for Purge night
James finds out on Purge day that he is the top salesman of the year. However, there's an undercurrent to this success: a neighbor tells Mary with passive-aggressive sweetness that since James sold a system to nearly everyone in the area, "this neighborhood paid for that addition to your house." Ouch!
Advertisement
Who played Mary Sandin?
Susan Dey
Lena Headey
Lena Headey plays Cersei on "Game of Thrones" and was "Lady Catherine deBourgh, the greatest swordswoman in England" in "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies." She's cast against type here as a suburbanite who has difficulty taking up a gun against her attackers.
Melissa Leo
Ellen Pompeo
Who is Timmy?
one of the neighbors
James's partner at work
Charlie's best friend
Charlie's charred-baby-doll-on-wheels video camera
Mary is surprisingly tolerant of the fact that her son implanted a video camera in a burnt baby doll and attached wheels, and lets "Timmy" roll around the house spying on people. Some mothers would send their kid to therapy for this!
What does James object to about Zoe's boyfriend?
Henry has a criminal record
Henry is eighteen
James thinks Henry is too old for Zoe. We see a bigger problem in the offing: Henry is nuts -- he's planning to kill James, thinking Zoe will still want to date him after he's killed her father.
Henry is Mexican
Henry and his family like to Purge
Advertisement
Who lets a homeless man into the house?
Charlie
Charlie is portrayed as intelligent and sensitive, with a few quirks -- like his rolling video camera. When he sees the homeless man running for his life, Charlie disarms the security system and lets the man in.
Mary
Zoe
no one; he just finds a way
When threatened by the Freaks outside, what does James first decide to do?
give up the homeless man
Part of the film's message is that appeasement never works in the long run. The Sandins go along with The Purge because it doesn't hurt them or anyone they know. And when they are threatened, James tries to explain to the leader that he supports "your right to Purge." Only two-thirds of the way through the movie does James have a change of heart, saying, "We're going to fight."
call friends from work for help
sit tight and trust the home security system
grab weapons and fight
Who is the first person to die in "The Purge"?
James Sandin
one of the "Freaks"
the homeless man
Zoe's boyfriend, Henry
Henry hides in the Sandin house and then tries to kill James, because James won't let Zoe date him. Apparently Henry forgot how things turned out for Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet." James returns fire and kills Henry. .
Advertisement
How many "Freaks" are outside the house?
six
eight
twelve
this is never made clear
The Sandins have several video surveillance cameras, and the quickly alternating images from them show different numbers of Freaks at different times, doing different things. It makes them appear more numerous and powerful than they really are.
What kind of clothing do the two female Freaks wear?
hazmat suits
leather aprons
nightgowns
This serves to make them look disturbingly innocent, as they skip around holding machetes. It also suggests that they're confident they won't be hurt on Purge night: there's no protection in flimsy white cotton.
overalls
What kind of costume is the Polite Leader wearing?
a woman's nightgown
a Freddy Krueger outfit
a prep-school uniform
The Polite Leader (that's really his name in the credits) says that he and his friends have "gotten gussied up in our most terrifying guises" for Purge night. But his costume also signals his belonging to the upper class -- the "haves," as he himself puts it.
a priest's casssock
Advertisement
Who is the first person the Polite Leader kills?
the homeless man
James
Charlie
his own friend
While the "Polite Leader" is quietly negotiating with James through the door, his friend approaches and shouts obscenities. Casually, the Polite Leader shoots his friend in the head, saying "I'm sorry. I don't condone that kind of behavior." Cold!
Whom does the homeless man take hostage?
Charlie
Mary
one of the Freaks
Zoe
Zoe goes to hide in Charlie's "secret spot," a cabinet in the back of his closet, but the homeless man is already hiding there. This leads to a standoff between James and the homeless man, which Mary breaks by shooting at the guy from behind.
In what room of the house does James kill several of the Freaks?
the master bedroom
the game room
Yes, the Sandin house has a game room. One of the movie's ironies is that if the Sandins didn't have such an enormous house for just four people, the homeless man couldn't have just disappeared in it, and it wouldn't be so difficult to defend.
the kitchen
the dining room
Advertisement
How does James die?
the homeless man stabs him
Mary accidentally shoots him
one of the female Freaks shoots him
the Polite Leader stabs him
The Polite Leader then gently lowers James to the floor, telling him that everything is "okay." This is what the YouTube channel CinemaSins calls the "person who commits stabbing suddenly develops tender bedside manner afterward" trope. (In fact, their video on "Everything Wrong With The Purge" is highly recommended).
Who kills Mary Sandin?
the Polite Leader
a female Freak
Grace Ferrin
no one, she survives the movie
The only one of the Sandins to die on Purge night is James. That's pretty good given the threats they've faced from within and without.
Why do the neighbors come to the Sandin house?
to rescue the Sandins
to Purge by killing some Freaks
to steal things
to kill the Sandins themselves
The neighbors are jealous of the Sandins' financial success and grand home. In fact, Grace thinks that killing the Sandins is a good thing: It will let them "cleanse their souls" of their jealousy and anger.
Advertisement
Who kills the Polite Leader?
Charlie
one of the neighbors
Zoe
It's poetic justice that Zoe kills him. Not only did he kill her father, but he asked one of this buddies to "save (Zoe) for me," a clear rape threat.
no one; he escapes
What does Mary do for the homeless man before he leaves?
cleans up his wounds
offers him a shower
makes him breakfast
asks if he's going to be okay
Mary does the bare minimum for the homeless man, given that he just saved her and her family. We would have at least given him breakfast.
Who, according to the movie's criminologists, are the real victims of The Purge?
the poor
the sick
the elderly
all of these
A criminologist interviewed in the movie theorizes that The Purge wipes out those who are unable to defend themselves. This removes "non-contributing members of society" from the economy.
Advertisement
Finish the phrase: "Blessed be America, a nation _______."
of violence
at peace
reborn
This mantra is heard several times in the movie, including at the end of the public service announcement that begins The Purge and the "prayer" the neighbors say before trying to kill the Sandins.
gone nuts
To date, how many sequels has "The Purge" spawned?
one
two
Following the success of "The Purge," Blum House Productions made "The Purge: Anarchy" and "Purge: Election Year." A fourth installment, "Purge: The Island," is set before the events of the first film and is scheduled for summer 2018.
three
none
You Got:
/35
YouTube