The Purge is a very famous franchise with four films on the market. In my opinion, The Purge is unique to other horror films, the way James DeMonaco builds tension for the audience and creates the feeling of fear and unease. He doesn't use jump scares or the paranormal, he uses violence and creates almost a surreal tension, making the audience question what would happen if the purge was really real? I think this is a really good technique because the film appears very realistic and makes the audience relate to the innocent characters who are being targeted.
The clip below from the film is a good example of giving the audience chills. The mise-en-scene here takes a big part as they want the characters to stand out as all the street lights are low. The fairy lights on the car, the music is happy and girly music which almost feels in conflict with the scene which is because it's supposed to be intensely sinister. The characters are skipping around with a creepy laugh and with weapons in their hands making the audience feel uneasy. A few minutes after this clip, someone trying to help comes and kills the criminals, there is a point of view shot and the audience can see someone dressed as a teddy bear running towards the protagonist, which creates tension as the criminal runs towards the audience.
Also later on in the film, an individual's life is in risk where there is a gathering in the church watching people being tortured, including herself. This is uncomfortable to watch because the church is the 'house of God' and is a very religious location which is very strong symbolism for example, the candles, the priest, statues etc. The dialogue in this scene is very minimal as there's a slight background noise to create tension and when there is speech its only the victims pleading for their own life.
Monday 8th October 2018