Ethan Hawke stars in the new thriller The Purge, directed by James DeMonaco, but critics aren't jumping from their seats and instead they're yawning.

"Certainly the it's-behind-you shocks feel like stock moments from the horror-movie playbook, and the story's plodding trajectory feels all too bland, considering the inventive streak De Monaco displayed in his earlier efforts," wrote Variety on Monday.

The film, set in the year 2022, focuses on the one night a year when all crime becomes legal in the states. The 12-hour period, or the purge, is supported because citizens feel it enables no unemployment and very low crime rates in the U.S. for the remainder of the year. The movie revolves around wealthy James Sandin (Hawke) and his family as they try to save themselves from murderous intruders, who are after them for giving shelter to a stranger they want dead.

Despite having a distinct plot, the movie is predictable according to critics.

"Essentially, The Purge is yet another hide-and-seek movie where a family has to thwart intruders who sneak around the house and pop out of dark corners,"  JoBlo wrote on June 5. "But once it's all over, the only thing that really sticks is the disappointment of the wasted potential."

"But while writer-helmer James DeMonaco's scenario echoes the fiction of J.G. Ballard and even The Hunger Games, the film's thudding shocks and predictability dull its edge," Variety also wrote.

Other critics were hoping to experience the chaos that was happening throughout the nation. The movie is set in the family's mansion and features a lot of footage of darkened hallways.

"And it's frustrating that while we hear about the horrors unfolding elsewhere in the country, all we see is brief glimpses of surveillance-camera footage that hint at unbridled savagery,"  The Huffington Post wrote on June 4.

The rated R movie hits theaters on June 7.

Tags: Movie Reviews Ethan Hawke