But before we begin, I have to mention one little piece of trivia - because I found out about it all on my own. Imagine my shock as I was watching the original Star Trek a few years back, and an episode from 1967 comes on (predating The Purge by almost 50 years!), in which Kirk and crew explore a planet with an otherwise buttoned-up society that goes all out for one night of the year. That's right - Star Trek predicted the Purge! Okay, now let's begin.
Warning: the following reviews will likely contain spoilers (although don't expect detailed play-by-plays). I'm assuming that, at this point, you've either already seen these movies, or don't care to. It's not my intention to hype them up. If that's what you're looking for, go read a synopsis on IMDb. I wanna talk about what happens in these movies - what works, and what doesn't.
The Purge (2013)
Not even a good home invasion thriller. Just a mediocre one. (Home invasion is a well-fed subgenre of horror, but The Strangers from 2008 is one I remember being pretty good). The family isn't very relatable, and their early bonding moments are pure cringe. No amount of moral high ground can change the fact that the boy's decision to let the stranger in (why did he even have the code?) was really stupid. But it sets up most of the action, and puts the family in a clever bind, so whatever. I appreciate that the movie attempts to be a morality play, but there is way too much focus on jump scares - the really irritating kind that is punctuated by the soundtrack and involves no stakes whatsoever (the proverbial cat jumping out of the closet).
I liked the marauders, even if they felt a bit like walking clichés. The leader was an interesting character (is it me or did his mask look exactly like his real face?). Complaints about the girls skipping around with knives instead of guns seem to miss the point, as these are people who think murder is a game and are probably touched in the head. I like that there were brief nods to some more elevated concepts, like the Purge existing to eradicate the poor and homeless, but those ideas weren't developed enough.
"We can afford protection."
I find it funny that everybody in the story defends the Purge by saying "it works!" Even if this half-baked thought experiment actually did work, the suggestion that the government and/or society would be more concerned with results than optics is hilarious. In the real world, we'd rather enact a policy that sounds good while doing the opposite of what it claims, than one that works, but which nobody can build their reputation on.
What interests ME about the concept of the Purge is the fact that laws are just approximations of what people in the aggregate think represents an ethical code (or a moral one - legislating morality introduces yet another angle for criticism). I wanted a movie that deals with the grey area of consensual crime, but in true American fashion, this story is overly preoccupied with violence.
Nowhere is the myopic focus on violence more frustrating than when the teenage daughter's slightly older boyfriend (honestly, they look about the same age) sneaks into the house - not to consummate his love, which could have set up a potentially enlightening subplot about statutory rape (that is, consensual sex with someone whose consent the law simply doesn't recognize), but in order to attempt to kill the girl's dad, who doesn't want them to be together. Like she'd want anything to do with him then. What a ridiculously stupid turn of events.
Anyway, I can see the merit in the concept behind this movie. I just wanted something a little smarter, and less dragged down by tired horror tropes. A home invasion thriller is admittedly a safe and simple way to introduce the world to the Purge. I'm hoping the sequels will open up that world, and explore some of the institutional facets (and repercussions) of this ill-advised annual Bacchanalia of blood.
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
While The Purge centered around a home invasion, Anarchy feels more like an action-packed apocalyptic adventure, as three groups of sympathetic protagonists converge downtown and must pull their wits together to survive the night. Where the first movie hid behind the shutters of a mansion, this one takes place right out on the streets. As such, we get to see how more people spend their Purge, from daring entrepreneurs rounding up riffraff to sell at auction to bloodthirsty hunters, to wealthy white families paying for the privilege of bonding over the slaughter of a poor black man in the safety of their own home. And then there's that guy with the sniper rifle in the tower who sits back and cracks open a beer. (I did appreciate the irony of a flaming fire engine, though).
As always, the fetishization of violence these purgers revel in is horrifying. When your neighbor is permitted by law - nay, encouraged - to break down your door and rape mother and child, all for the glory of God, can we even call that a society anymore? It's especially disturbing to think about the extent to which this movie captures the spirit of our school-shooting, Capitol-storming times (I don't think it's a coincidence that this is one of the popular horror franchises to come from this era). But I'm happy to see the introduction of a resistance movement (and a story told from the perspective of those who don't buy into the state's propaganda), and a more serious consideration of the political themes (i.e. racism, sexism, and classism) introduced as background noise in the last movie - exemplified by the inclusion of an organized military force systematically exterminating the poor in response to insufficient murder rates among the populace.
"Fuck you! Fuck your money! And motherfuck the Purge!"
In short, this was a better movie than the first. It's not without flaw, but I feel it was able to rise above its flaws overall, especially in the second half, once it got rolling and I felt invested in the protagonists' journey. As disturbing as the premise is, I'm glad this series hasn't turned out to be a complete dumpster fire, and I look forward to seeing where they take it in the next film. I hope the filmmakers continue to advance and innovate the narrative, and not resort to repeating themselves. The next movie's subtitle is "Election Year", and I could see it going one of two ways - either a campaign to end the Purge, or extend it year-round. It came out in 2016, so I'm already a little scared. But also intrigued, in a morbid sort of way.
The Purge: Election Year (2016)
On the plus side, Election Year raises the stakes by putting the future of the Purge in question. The establishment doesn't even talk about lowering crime rates anymore - it's all about saving the country from economic ruin, in what activists dub "predatory capitalism". After at least 18 years (and probably more) of purging, the growing anti-purge sentiment in the country has finally raised up a candidate who is poised to outvote the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA). The idea of a conservative party running the country unopposed for more than four whole election cycles alone is a terrifying thought.
Naturally, to defend their power, the NFFA (who behave as much like mobsters as politicians, and are nominating a Minister as their presidential candidate) revoke the rule protecting high-ranking government officials on Purge night, and put in place a plan to assassinate the woman (a Senator) who is running against them. But guess who the Senator's head of security is? It's Leo, a.k.a. "Sergeant" from the last movie! But where he had to earn his reputation as a "badass with a heart of gold" before, it feels like now he's just coasting on it.
Unfortunately, this is where the movie starts to get repetitive. Despite the raised stakes, what follows is a formulaic repeat of what happened in the last movie - a few groups out on the streets coming together to survive. They're even led by the same guy! And, eventually, they come into contact with the resistance force. A few elements from the first movie are also borrowed, including a short home invasion sequence, and a bit of a morality play in the form of deciding whether to counter-assassinate the NFFA's candidate, or take the high road and win "fair and square". Realistically, taking the high road is a guaranteed defeat, but in this case, they seem to actually have a shot at winning (otherwise the NFFA wouldn't be so desperate), and I'd wager that the NFFA have an endless lineup of dummies ready to be propped up as figureheads for the party.
I've said before that what interests me about The Purge is the concept, yet these movies tend to focus on presenting increasingly extreme exhibitions of violence (which is no doubt what the audiences come to see). Normally, I'd be excited to hear a Miley Cyrus song in a movie, but her smash hit "Party in the USA" plays poignantly over a shameful display of youthful entitlement, in which shots are fired over a stolen candy bar. "I get mine" only works up until you start taking what's not yours. Only briefly touched on is the phenomenon of "murder tourism" - foreigners visiting America in order to Purge. This is contrasted by an offhand comment that puts things into context, considering other countries where this kind of violence is a day-to-day reality.
Interestingly, we get to see how the NFFA spend their Purge night - in church, of course - which demonstrates how the "religionization of murder" (as writer/director James DeMonaco phrases it) completely misses the target on the nature of "sacrifice". Sacrifice is giving something of yourself, not taking something from another. The mantra has evolved from "release the beast" to "purge and purify", but all these people out on the streets aren't making sacrifices to God and their nation (one and the same), they're just indulging in bloodlust.
"We will now Purge. We will torture you and violate your flesh.
Remove your skin and share in your blood. This is the American way."
Remove your skin and share in your blood. This is the American way."
To summarize, although it superficially raises the stakes by putting the future of the Purge in question, Election Year unfortunately falls into the rut of following the formula laid out in the previous movie. As such, it doesn't distinguish itself from Anarchy very cleanly in my mind, and while it does evolve the central concept marginally, it doesn't innovate on the level that I was hoping for. Which is to say, it's not any worse than the last movie, but I'm not sure it's any better, either. We leave off on a positive note, with it looking like the Purge might finally be eliminated. (Unfortunately in real life, election year 2016 was just the beginning - not the end - of a national nightmare). What a great time to go back and do a prequel!
The First Purge (2018)
As familiar as the usual formula has become - a short establishment phase, characterized by a build-up of pre-Purge jitters, until the siren sounds and pandemonium ensues, leading to a climax at dawn, and a very brief denoument - this would have been a good time to mix things up and try a different format. Alas, the filmmakers are not brave enough to take that gamble. Despite having a new director at the helm (Gerard McMurray), you can tell James DeMonaco is still writing, because it's just another iteration of the same story that's been told at least twice before (although the fans who clamor "we want more purging" instead of, I dunno, "we want a smarter movie", are at least partly to blame). There might be some refinement of the concepts on display - and make no mistake, this is the most ethnic Purge movie yet, with a nearly fully colored cast - but the skeleton hasn't changed.
And speaking of skeletons, the "Skeletor" character in this movie is a tad over the top (although creativity points for the syringe claws that evoke a junkie Wolverine). The one thing of substance, I think, that this movie contributes to the overarching lore of the Purge, is that it never really worked. It was always just propaganda. And isn't that appropriate? As crazy as the idea that anyone would back the Purge on scientific grounds, the fact is, the trial (exclusively limited to Staten Island for the first year, with poor people being offered monetary compensation for participation - and issued trackers and glowing contacts that record everything they see) would have failed miserably if not for the government hiring foreign mercenaries to inflate the murder rate by (as we've seen in later Purges) systematically exterminating the poor.
"The conceit is not a political one. It is a psychological one."
Taking the place of an armed and organized resistance movement (that hasn't formed yet), we have instead a local gang that seems to be liberally swiping pages from The Wire. The movie questionably portrays the gang boss as sympathetic (glossing over the fact that he's a criminal peddling the streets with violence and drugs the other 364 days a year), but does so relatively effectively, culminating in a legitimately thrilling climax that channels action movie more than horror (in my notes I have written "black Rambo" - if you think this sequence stretches the viewer's suspension of disbelief, I'll remind you that all believability was thrown out the window with the idea that a third party could ever come to power in US politics). And there's definitely some "societal catharsis" involved in seeing the protagonists enacting a "freeing violence" upon authority figures in white hoods and masks that imitate blackface.
In its favor, this movie does briefly consider the concept of non-violent crime, before the murder really ramps up - being the first time these people have ever purged. One guy takes his anger out on an ATM. Several block parties crop up - ignoring the danger you and I (who have seen many Purges) know such activity would place people in, imagine an all-night rager with no noise limits, all the underage drinking, drugs flowing freely... At one point, there's even a couple going at it in public (not nearly enough nudity, though). Wouldn't it be more interesting if we had a night where all non-violent crime was legal? You know, instead of mostly just murder?
I could point out more little details here and there (like the irony of a church being called "the safest place on the island" - clearly, purging hasn't been fully "religionized" yet), but I'm gonna wrap this up. In conclusion, I think this movie does perfectly well within the confines of the formula that's been established. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't have the guts to break free from those confines and try something new. Will the next movie do that? I doubt it, but we'll see. I don't know what the premise is, but it sounds like the Purge might escape the bounds of a single night, erupting into total anarchy, perhaps leading to its final termination once and for all. Or maybe it'll be a period piece set in the lawless reaches of the Old West (just judging from the poster). That could be interesting. But I'm not getting my hopes up.
The Forever Purge (2021)
If The First Purge was "the black Purge", then The Forever Purge (featuring a new director - Everardo Gout) is "the Mexican Purge". Familiar themes of classism and racism recur, but there's a new spice added to the mix in the form of xenophobia. We get to see how the Purge shakes out in Texas between the cowboys and the ranch hands, taking a cue from real world politics and the fear of immigration that Trump famously exploited. The "purification" element associated with purging also takes on a poignant new meaning - not to rid oneself of hatred or the urge to transgress, but a desire to purify the bloodline of America.
Don't let the first half hour of this movie rattle ya. It starts out like a typical Purge movie, with the events of Election Year pretty much tossed in the garbage. The NFFA has come back into power, and reinstated the Purge. So much for progress. But when a grassroots movement of so-called "patriots" decides that one night is not enough, the promise of Election Year's ending scene riots is finally realized - and the "Ever After" Purge begins.
"There's no such thing as crime anymore."
We get to see purging in full daylight. We get to see how the police and, after the NFFA disavows this demonstration of true anarchy, the military struggles to contain the violence. In a humorous switch, Mexico and Canada open their borders to refugees fleeing the States in fear of not just their freedom, but their very lives. Meanwhile, the whiter half of our miscegenated band of protagonists has to confront their racist assumptions (spotlighting the limitations of a "separate but equal" mindset). And eventually, a Native American tribal leader steps in with organized assistance (and explosive arrows!).
Although I like that this movie in particular (and the series in general) is partly a send-up of the type of religious conservative gun-toting maniac our country is currently plagued by, I feel like even this exaggerated fantasy doesn't manage to capture the full breadth of political madness we're living with. To wit, calling the Purge a "celebration of freedom", as if conservative pundits in real life aren't constantly pushing legislation to restrict our liberties. Then again, to be fair, the cognitive dissonance on display in these populations is quite significant.
I think this is the best Purge movie since Anarchy. And while it builds to an open ending - what would appear to be full-on civil war - I'm not sure where the story could go from here. Perhaps it's a good time to call it quits, and end on a high note? But we know that's not how capitalism works. I've heard there's a TV show; I think it could be interesting to explore different characters and how they personally contend with the Purge. You could go into greater depth on the particulars - moral issues, emotional repercussions, different types of crimes - especially if you have a good batch of writers. Could be a great subject for an anthology series.
But we are talking about the Purge, after all. The only thing American audiences want to see is more violence, right? I feel like showcasing Purge methods (and there are some pretty creative ones in these movies) is a bit like showing off new traps in Saw. Which is another hugely popular horror franchise from this era. In fact, there's a new one in theaters right now. Perhaps I have a subject for my next marathon. -_^
The Purge (TV)
The first one starts out okay, with some interesting characters and ideas, but has a tendency to drag at times, with a few belabored performances. Like most of the Purge movies, it was just okay.
The second season was a good deal better, because like The Forever Purge (which, if I've got my dates correct, actually came out after this series), it dares to explore events outside the bounds of Purge night. In fact, it covers a whole year between Purges, so there's actual room for character and story development, from the events of one Purge to the next. I think the series deserves kudos for that.
"What happens on Purge night, stays on Purge night."
If you're not a Purge fan, there's probably little here to recommend, but if you are, you can rest assured that the series is at least on par with the movies.
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