David Pierdomenico
The Purge trilogy has become one of the most notable and enduring horror franchises of the last decade. As mentioned in a previous article which can be found here, it started as surreal home invasion horror, but soon became quite politically and socially relevant.
The First Purge opens in a world that looks all too similar to our own. Unemployment and inflation are high, while wages are low and citizens are disheartened by a system that seems to have failed them. Then along comes a new political party, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA). Once they have control of the White House, a new solution is proposed. With the help of psychiatrist Dr. Updale (Marisa Tomei), they enact an experimental “purge”, limited solely to Staten Island. While the NFFA argues this is to help citizens release the pent up anger and rage they hold on to, it in fact has much more despicable motivations.
Prequel Rather Than Sequel
Given how The Purge: Election Year ended, it seemed obvious to want to continue the story from the chaos that ensued after the election results. However, doing so may have taken the film into revolutionary film territory such as The Hunger Games or Divergent series. And it’s quite clear this franchise’s bread and butter is showcasing the actual purge night, and all that occurs during it. So it makes sense that the filmmakers chose to do this. In addition, while the previous films have always seemed to be far distant from our own world and time, this film would have the chance to be more relatable to us.
In every other film in the series, the purge has already been around for some time and thus the population is accustomed to it. To them it seems a natural part of life. Fans have also been vocal about that fact that those purging always seem to go straight for murder, rather than theft or buglary to acquire money and valuables. This film does an excellent job of addressing both. Once the first purge begins, many opt to have parties, vandalize, and loot rather than go on murder sprees. The previous three films showed how far our society could detach from reality and morality, while this film demonstrates how our world started going in that direction to begin with.
The Most Interesting Characters We’ve Seen So Far
With the exception of Frank Grillo’s Sargent Barnes in Anarchy and Election Year, The Purge series has never been known for strong character development. Stylized action with a heavy handed political message, yes; but well-rounded characters who are more than caricatures, no. One of the strengths of this film, however, is the complex and morally gray development of its protagonist Dmitri (Y’Lan Noel). Dmitri is a gang leader who rules over the drug trade in the projects of Staten Island. Yet the film doesn’t portray him as a stereotypical “bad guy”. Much to the audience’s surprise, he’s very much against the idea of the purge. Rather than look at it as an opportunity to do illegal things without consequence, he is apprehensive because it threatens the overall order of his operation, which runs like clockwork.
And when the civilians of his neighborhood are threatened, he steps into action to defend them, almost viewing himself as a surrogate leader and protector for them. All the while, he’s also flooding their streets with drugs. Much like how characters from Game of Thrones are never fully good or evil, Dmitri walks that fine line, and we can always understand where he’s coming from, even if we don’t agree with him. In addition, the NFFA offers all the citizens of Staten Island a sum of $5,000 to simply remain there during the purge (assuming they survive). This enticement offers a valid motivation as to why most people stay, something that the other three films are often criticized for.
The Future of the Franchise
It’s unclear where the series will go from here, narratively speaking. Fans are still curious to see what happened after the election of Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) as president. But, as previously mentioned, any subsequent sequels/prequels will most likely still deal with the purge itself. While purge night has always been a staple of the series, after four films, it’s starting to get a little stale. Why not a film about an actual revolution, which takes place the next morning? Some have even comically suggested a film showcasing the cleanup of the next day after the purge.
However, in a move that is not quite clear, Blumhouse is moving forward with The Purge, a 10 episode miniseries, airing this fall on USA. Details are sketchy regarding exactly when the series takes place. All that has been revealed is that it deals with a marine returning home right before purge night, his sister, and their struggle to survive. Will the entire 10 episodes take place over that one night, almost in real time fashion, like in 24? Another concern is that the series is airing on USA, rather than HBO or Showtime. So it will most likely be incredibly watered down, compared to the hard “R” rating of all four films.
Compared to the other films in the series, The First Purge is definitely better than the original, and holds up with Anarchy and Election Year. It boasts the most diverse cast we’ve seen thus far, and seems all the more relevant to us because it shows how our society descended into this madness. Its political commentary is less overt than the previous films, but at times it does seem like the filmmakers aren’t aware of what subtlety is. Still, it’s an enjoyable and adrenaline-filled experience.
