Director: Gerard McMurray
Genre: Horror/
Thriller/ Action
Runtime: 98
minutes
Year:
2018
Starring: Y’lan Noel,
Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Mugga Patch Darragh, Marisa Tomei, Luna Lauren Velez,
Kristen Solis, Rotimi Paul, Mo McRae, Jermel Howard, Siya, Christian Robinson,
Steve Harris, Derek Basco, D.K. Bowser, Mitchell Edwards, Maria Rivera, Chyna
Layne
Description:
America’s
third political party, the New Founding Fathers of America, comes to power and
conducts an experiment: no laws for 12 hours on Staten Island. No one has to
stay on the island, but 5,000 dollars is given to anyone who does.
Review: For a film that both the press and audiences weren’t hugely excited about
at the time, 2013s “The Purge” turns out to have a remarkably long run. I liked
the first movie and also enjoyed “The Purge: Election Year”, “The First Purge”
doesn’t really add anything to the franchise. Even though it’s an interesting
premise, getting to know how it all started. It’s pretty much the same as all
the other editions and isn’t captivating whatsoever.
This first edition of the
purge is smaller in scale. This is because it is a pilot taking place on Staten
Island, the district of New York. The fact that this island was chosen as a
test location because of its representativeness for the rest of the country
seems rather out of the blue. The populations shown consists purely of ethnic
minorities of low social status, many of whom engage in drug trafficking or
other crimes. In any case, it doesn’t look like a place where the police would
drop by, so a night when the authorities don’t turn up and everyone is left to
fend for themselves shouldn’t exactly be considered a completely new situation.
Anyone who wants to preserve
their lives would do well to leave the island for a night, but there is a way
around that: those who stay get an allowance from the government that many can
only well use. The allowance is even a bit larger with active participation in
the purge. While previous films in the “Purge” series have shown some of the
atrocities that people are capable of when protected from prosecution, this
part seems to focus on what people without money are willing to do to improve
their financial situation. But as often in this film series, very little is done
with this potentially interesting fact. The only ones who really get to kill
are those who would probably do so without the purge.
It is hard to believe that
someone who is permanently rigid with aggression would restrain for 364 days a
year because he fears legal prosecution. And what about a drug lord who tries
to kill his competitor, only to have the latter destroy him? Does that really
require a Purge? Drug criminals in general pay very little attention to
prevailing laws when it comes to protecting their power status.
This is an unnecessary film,
that even Marisa Tomei couldn’t save. “The First Purge” is a waste of your
time.
Rating: 1,5/
5
