The First Purge
Director: Gerard McMurray
Writers: James DeMonaco
Cast: Y’Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez, Marisa Tomei
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated R | 97 Minutes
Release Date: July 4, 2018

It’s funny how current events can influence a film. Okay, maybe not now. Especially not now considering what is happening to this world. But somehow The Purge film franchise has been able to sustain itself by using socioeconomics as a narrative device. For three films we have seen the dangers of what could happen if, for one night, all crime, including murder, was legal. It’s the kind of satirization that is so shocking it’s on the verge of becoming real. Each film took a different perspective of the privileged and disenfranchised trying to survive a night where no one would be punished for their crimes. Although it was fictional, it was hard to ignore some of the parallels the film had with today’s society. Some might say the film wasn’t too far off foreseeing what will happen.

But now we live in a different time, and The First Purge takes a look at the beginning and how it all started. The funny thing is, this new installment draws so much inspiration from the previous 18 months that it is simultaneously scary and funny, all the while continuing to being one of the most inclusive films to date by giving minorities and people of color some of the most exciting action sequences. Check out my full review of The First Purge here below.

The Purge has gone on three bloody rampages in the past decade, all the while teaching us a valuable lesson about the disenfranchised. And with a prequel set for release, you’d think we learn what we needed to know. In a dystopian American future – not too far from our own – an annual national civic tradition called “The Purge.” For 12 hours each year all crime is legal, including murder.

Now the franchise that brought terror and thought-provoking politics to the big screen, will be hitting television for a 10-episode run. Check out the first trailer for The Purge TV series here below.

The concept of The Purge makes for a very intriguing film while also having us question the socio-economic disparities that exist today. It is a modern-day slasher with a political twist. During the franchise, we got to see how the rich were able to protect themselves while also taking part in killing, while those who were unable to afford such luxuries were forced to fend for themselves or also take part in the lawless night.

Now, we will get to see that world once more in The First Purge. A new trailer for the prequel has just dropped, which will chronicle how it all began. Check it out here below.

Underneath the gruesomeness of The Purge lies an underlining message about class, race, and status. The rich could afford the protections needed to survive an entire night’s worth of committing crimes without having to worry about the law, while the lower class has to fend for themselves. It was definitely one of the more unconventional horrors. With Blumhouse’s reputation for low-budget films, the success of it helped turn that Purge into a full-blown trilogy.

However, we never really saw how the Purge came to be. We just knew that it was created in order to lower crime. Now the series will explore the original purge in a film appropriately titled The First Purge. And based on the newly released teaser video and poster, you know it’s going to make waves. Check it out below.

The Purge: Election Year
Blu-ray Combo Pack | DVD | Digital HD
Director: James DeMonaco
Writer: James DeMonaco
Cast: Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo, Mykelti Williamson, Terry Serpico, Betty Gabriel, Joseph Julian Soria, Kyle Secor
Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 4, 2016

The Purge: Election Year is the third installment in four years for the Purge franchise and in my opinion is the best so far. Where the first one was a home invasion movie, and the second was a stilted revenge movie, the third entry is all political thriller dripping with socio-economic commentary. Again written and directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge: Election Year focuses on Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) who promises, if elected, to end the yearly night of guiltless violence and murder. This obviously makes her a target for the corrupt “new” founding fathers who want to preserve their political and economic dominance.

Returning for part three is Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), the anti-hero/hero of The Purge: Anarchy. He was a vengeance-seeking Purge participant when part two began, but now he’s back to his old job, working security detail for the Senator. Of course right when Purge night begins, Roan’s house is attacked and she and Leo are forced to venture out into the abyss where Purge activities are commencing as usual. The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack comes loaded with special features including 8 minutes of deleted scenes, including an extended Purge night montage.