The old rules of the Purge are broken as members of an underground movement, no longer satisfied with the annual night of anarchy and murder, decide to overtake America through an unending campaign of mayhem and massacre. No one is safe. On the morning after the Purge, a masked gang of killers attacks a wealthy Texas ranching family and their workers. Exposed by daylight, the two groups are forced to band together and fight back as the country spirals into chaos and the United States begins to disintegrate around them.
For in-depth thoughts on The Forever Purge, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Forever Purge offers a decent uptick in quality over the already pleasing accompanying Blu-Ray. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores and grime. The increased range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold. The HDR enriches the colors from already impressive to out of this world when it comes to vibrancy. The dusty western landscape keeps mostly to earth tones and pops up green vegetation, but the nuance with which it is reproduced is eye-popping. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the various environments of the film are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is great, but Universal has delivered another fantastic transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with an incredibly effective Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you in this world. There are elements in this track that are truly unnerving, such as the sounds of the gunshots and explosions. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to the quieter dialogue-driven scenes filled with subtle whispers. The score from The Newton Brothers brings this film to life in a really thrilling way. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged well as an extension of certain exciting elements like shootouts. The sound design of this film is quite intense, and the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is very well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film.
Special Features
- Alternate Storyboard Opening: A nearly two-minute glimpse at an alternate beginning for the film featuring a nighttime raid on a house.
- Deleted Scene: A single minute-and-a-half long scene featuring cattle being rounded up.
- Collapsing The System – Behind The Forever Purge: A eight-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss this new entry into the franchise, the impact of setting the story in the daytime, the locations utilized in the film, finding the right director for this material and more.
- Creeptastic Wardrobe: A two-minute conversation with Costume Designer Leah Butler in which she discusses the fun of developing the look for this entry.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Forever Purge is not the strongest entry in the franchise, but with this fifth outing there are still many fun aspects to develop with this concept. The political messaging is blunt and unpolished, but perhaps that will be more effective in reaching the audience that needs to hear it most? The film is good for some solid action and violence, and some of the characters are dynamic enough to keep you invested in their fate. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation and a few surface-level supplements. If you have enjoyed the other entries in this series, this one should do the trick for you. Recommended
The Forever Purge will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on September 28, 2021. The film is currently available to own on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
