After a dismal first outing, did anyone really want another Purge? It was such a promising idea, squandered on Ethan Hawke and a chilling but familiar home invasion thrill-ride. Then came Anarchy, a delicious sequel that took the action onto the streets and showcased the real horrors of Purge night, led by an incredible Frank Grillo. And then, of course, Election Year came roaring in the summer before Trump got elected, feeding off our very real cultural anxieties and becoming a resounding vision of a future all too close to reality.
Each film has gotten "better": more artistic, more horrific, more iconic, more mindful of social climate. Specifically, each has included more characters (and actors) of color and suggested that part of the story of the Purge involves the racial and economic divisions of our country. Consider Ethan Hawke and family from the first film, wealthy and relatively secure (though, if you remember, he was a scumbag profiteer). In subsequent films, we've fought alongside groups of survivors and rebels in the streets and come to understand that the wealthy white people in charge -- by and large -- use the Purge to attempt a social cleansing, to rid themselves of those wretched black and brown gutter folk.
At least, that's how the story has been painted.
And now, in The First Purge, we see how and why. As America reaches a boiling point with crime and overpopulation, an Architect (Marisa Tomei) develops an experiment for people to act on their most taboo desires and base hatred on a single night. Stepping right up to support her, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), a new ultraconservative political party backed by the NRA, fund her Experiment in a controlled environment. Staten Island becomes quarantined and its inhabitants are offered money to participate. The island is closely monitored and on March 21 (yes, numerically that's 3...2...1...) the Experiment commences.
The film shows a lot of things we've thought about but haven't seen yet in this series. We see folks using lawlessness to party openly in the streets. But as the white folk in charge see a lack of violence (they have television audiences to please and incite, don't forget) they send in death squads to light a fuse for murder and mayhem. They're hoping the Experiment will succeed and their Purge will spread across the nation. We know, of course, that it will.
This picture is nowhere near as iconic as Election Year, nor is it as campy or pulpy. It's a fabulous good time, filled with violence and terrifying images and more than a few well-earned laughs. What makes this entry my close #2 favorite in the series, apart from its revealing plot points, is that it so clearly takes itself seriously. That's the first time in this franchise, and an important step to take looking to the future: apparently we will soon be seeing a Purge television show that will explore the reasons and preparations people make for the Purge night.
We get some really fascinating real-life social commentary and racial and socioeconomic theory. While perhaps some of this high-brow material escapes the film in practice, and surely escapes its target audience, the thoughts nevertheless seep out of the screen and into our heads. Meanwhile, we also get a breakneck ride through lives in trouble and a night of hell that is sure to keep you at the edge of your seat. And, yet again, we get a look at our own society that is much too close for comfort.
IMDb: The First Purge
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