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 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.