A family living in a gated community fights to defend their home against vicious attackers during the one night each year when all crime is legal in this high-concept thriller from writer\director James DeMonaco. In the not-too-distant future, rampant crime and prison overcrowding has inspired the U.S. government to implement a unique solution to restore the peace: Each year, for a 12 hour period, any and all crime becomes permissible as police put their jobs on hold, and hospitals close their doors. It's called 'The Purge', and remarkably, the annual event leads to drastically reduced crime and record low unemployment throughout the rest of the year. This year, as suburban parents James (Ethan Hawke) and Mary (Lena Headly) place their home on lockdown for the annual event, a desperate man finds his way into their neighbourhood while fleeing a sadistic gang of masked killers. In a moment of compassion, James and Mary's adolescent son (Max Burkholder) unlocks the door, offering sanctuary to the frightened stranger. Unfortunately for the entire family, that act of kindness may also be his very last, because now the killers who were pursuing the man have surrounded the house, and vowed to kill everyone inside unless they are willingly given the man they are hunting within an hour. As the clock begins to tick, the family faces a difficult dilemma - do they sacrifice the life of one man in hopes of saving themselves, or attempt to stand their ground until The Purge expires?