The fourth film and prequel to the first Purge film hit theaters yesterday!
If you are new to the franchise, the premise of the Purge franchise is a new political party known as the New Founding Fathers of America has risen to power and upon an economic collapse are elected into office. The NFFA creates a national yearly tradition known as “The Purge” where for 12 hours crime is legal except for the killing of politicians. All emergency services are unavailable.
The First Purge tells the roots of how this deadly tradition began. The film takes place in 2014, where the NFFA tests a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. This is all to push crime rate down below 1% for the remainder of the year. However, when the violence of the oppressors meets the rage of marginalized, the contagion explodes from Staten Island, the trial area, and spreads across the nation. Due to more parties being thrown than being killed, the NFFA takes matters into its own hands.
Like the other films, The First Purge is politically charge, regurgitating what is happen in real life current events. To my recollection, this was racially charged as well. For the first time in four movies I was able to put myself in the shoes of the main characters, Dmitri (Y’Lan Noel), Nya (Lexa Scott Davis), and Isaiah (Joivan Wade). Dmitri is a gang king pin who runs the streets and under belly of Staten Island. Nya and Isaiah are African American siblings living in the projects surviving one day at a time.
I enjoyed the film and the character’s chemistry with one another. The three main characters have their own stories and it merges very well. First half of the film there is a lot of world building and set up for the remainder of the film. I would have liked to see more set up on the NFFA side, gives us more reasons to hate these oppressors and give us certain characters to love and/or hate depending on how you view the film.
The action is okay and at some points I felt was unrealistic. Certain parts I was asking myself how this fits the characters and their ability to overcome certain obstacles. However, I pulled myself back reminding myself not to set my expectations too high when it comes to this franchise.
I enjoyed the outcome of the ending and thought this movie had some great story telling. If I had to rank the films The First Purge would be in the number one spot with the first film that started the franchise, coming in at number two.
Small spoiler but it’s already out there, The First Purge showed a teaser of their 10 Episode Event coming this Fall to television! I am excited for this and hope they tell different stories, in different locations! Check out the trailer below!
Sources: The First Purge
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