In 2013, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes released The Purge. Taking place in a future USA where all crime, including murder, is made legal for twelve hours one night a year, the film had an interesting concept, but used said concept to create a standard home invasion movie. Nevertheless, the movie was a major hit, making over $89 million against a $3 million budget, so inevitably a sequel was made. So, in 2014, The Purge: Anarchy was released, and it was surprisingly better than the first, using its concept to tell a story that showed what happened on Purge Night across different parts of Los Angeles. Being an even bigger hit than the previous film ($111 million on a $9 million budget), another sequel was released soon after. The Purge: Election Year was released two years later, and while not as a good as the previous film, it still used a very similar premise and was just as insane, if not more so, than the previous film. Once again, the film was a hit, making over $118 million on a $10 million budget, so while we were going to get another film, this time we get a prequel to the previous three films. All that said, how does The First Purge compare to what came before?
%
Rating
Taking place several years before the events of The Purge, the film showcases a version of the USA where unemployment and poverty are on the rise, there are rioters on the streets, and the government is in total political turmoil. Then, a new political party known as The New Founding Fathers of America have emerged to replace the Democratic and Republican parties with the promise of a brighter future. Part of their plan is a new social experiment they’re proposing called The Purge, where for twelve hours, citizens are allowed to commit whatever crimes they want to in order to release their anger and frustration guilt-free. The brainchild of Dr. Updale, played by Marisa Tomei, the party decides to stage the first Purge on Staten Island, and they have incentivized the citizens by promising them $5,000 to stay in their homes, as well as some extra money if they participate. At the same time, we are also introduced to Nya, played by Lex Scott Davis, who is leading protestors against the Purge, as well as her brother Isaiah, played by Joivan Wade, and drug dealer/gang leader Dmitri, played by Y’lan Noel. As night rolls around and the first Purge is underway, how are the people of Staten Island going to survive and will they succumb to their primal instincts are start killing each other like the NFFA wants?
As I alluded to, I was not a huge fan of the first film. While the idea ludicrous and would never fly in the real world, it’s still an interesting concept that you could do a lot with. Unfortunately, they chose to use that concept as the backdrop for a very bland home invasion film, and I hated it. That said, when the second film came out, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and then again with the third one. So, with the new one that just came out at the time of writing this, I was interested to see it, especially with it being a prequel since I was genuinely curious just how such a ridiculous idea could get off the ground. Getting into what I liked about the movie, I thought the main characters were mostly likable and easy to get behind. While Isaiah does get involved in some bad stuff, like trying to deal drugs and even wanting to participate in the Purge, you do get a sense that this is just a kid who wants to prove that he’s tough and that he can take of himself but can’t. Nya is a strong female lead, between rallying people against the Purge and trying to protect as many of them as possible. Dmitri, while not as awesome as Frank Grillo was in the previous two films, is still probably the most interesting character, especially when it gets into the third act and he steps up to be the hero. Also, when the action and violence start ramping up in the second half, it does get more entertaining as it goes along.
Unfortunately, that’s really where many of the positives I have for this movie end, as this movie really isn’t very good. First off, this movie is a narrative mess. While the last two had different stories going on, they were at least handled well and were able to converge and come together. In this, it feels like a new plot-line starts up every 20 minutes or so. One minute, there’s a rave party going on where people are partying it up, doing drugs, and probably contracting more than a few STDs. The next, the government starts sending out mercenaries disguised as people participating in the Purge to kill people to make it seem like more people are purging then there actually are. Then, there’s a gang rivalry going where gang members are betraying one another and trying to take control from the other guy. Sure, these plots do intersect and converge with each other eventually, but it’s so scatterbrained and all over the place that it can be hard to keep track of everything. In addition, the movie is not that well-made, as there are clearly times where they use tons of CGI blood and obvious green screen, the latter also being a good indication that they only had some of the cast members available for a few days. And while the other movies certainly weren’t very subtle in their political commentary, this one practically hits you over the head with a brick with its symbolism. Hell, the final shot of the movie is a pan-up shot of an American flag. I realize that asking for subtlety in a Purge movie is asking a bit much, but the last two were more subtle in their commentary than this was.
When I saw this movie, I obviously wasn’t expecting high-art or something that would change the landscape of cinema, but I was at least expecting something entertaining. And while it has its moments and has hints of what made the last two movies a lot of fun, The First Purge is so sloppily put together and full of itself that it’s honestly more infuriating than anything and just makes you wish you were watching the previous two movies. Hell, just watch The Purge instead!
