Synopsis:
This summer, all the rules are broken as a sect of lawless marauders decides that the annual Purge does not stop at daybreak and instead should never end in The Forever Purge.
United we stand, divided we fall. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Two age-old mottos that are truer now than ever. The anger, the divisiveness, the cruelty, the violence, all stems from hate. Hate is like the worst kind of drug, itās free, itās everywhere, and itās oftentimes fed to you as a child. Now we live in a land full of hate-fiends that seem unruly, unintelligent, untreatable, and are looking for their next hit of hate. Fortunately for myself, I tend to be somewhat of an optimistic person, so I do think we can overcome our nation’s hateful ways, but itās going to be a long journey and in our country, it seems that itās going to have to start from the top down. Because as the great Julius Campbell said in Remember the Titans, attitude reflects leadership.Ā
“The United States of Hate.”
In the newest installment of the terror franchise that isĀ The Purge, The Forever PurgeĀ is a scary crumbling of a nation that at times feels all too real. In what initially felt like the poor eating the rich, this film quickly becomes hate-filled racists and white supremacists versus everybody else. It then feels like an immersive survival video game where ironically, the safest place becomes beyond our border wall. Sadly, this is a shining example of art imitating life. It begins as The NFFA has regained control of the government but what but they can’t control the citizens as the air fills with gun sounds, smoke, and blood-curdling screams for more than one night. What these films have always been good at, is being a reflection of the absurd state of our country in the most aggressively brutal way. Taking place in Texas and told mostly through the point of view of an immigrant couple, Juan and Adela that came to America from Mexico for safety, what they thought was their haven quickly becomes hell as they are now targets because of their skin color.
What once felt like a horror film, is now a no holds barred action thriller. Another great aspect that the film focuses on is a man having to deal with his own prejudices while having to survive with people he doesnāt quite agree with. It also momentarily hoists up acceptance of all as well as learning and embracing Americaās diversity. Most people in these films wear masks to hide their identity for intimidation, fear of retaliation, and probably because part of them knows that what they are doing is wrong. The most terrifying part of the film is that most of the people that are continuing to purge in the name of “cleansing” America don’t wear masks, because they believe what they are doing is right.Ā This film is shouting to us that if we don’t find some way to come together, our country will implode.
Now, did we need anotherĀ PurgeĀ film? Probably not, but to me, is time for America to take a hard look at itself because this is how people see us. Someone had to show us in a not-so-subtle way. Judging by the end of the film, it looks like this won’t be the last entry in the franchise, but I guess that’s up to us. The themes are a lot deeper than the film itself comes off. At face value, this a brutal survival movie where it’s kill or be killed. There are no edge-of-your-seat frights or haunting music. This film is unlike the others but perhaps serves a better purpose. It definitely not the best in the series but I appreciate The Forever Purge. It’s rewatchability is medium-high
Pacing & Pop
With its high volume of violence and gunfire, the film moves at a pretty brisk pace. The slowest sequence of the film lies at the beginning and then it is full go. What popped for me was the concept itself. I may have reached a tad previously but it’s how I interpreted the film and I think it delivered in its messaging.
Characters & Chemistry
When it comes down to chemistry, there honestly isn’t a ton of it. Even though they have to move as a team, it feels as if it’s every person for themselves at times. They felt distant. The little chemistry that stands out is between Harper (Leven Rambin) and T.T. (Alejandro Edda). It is subtle and cute and a great additive to the story. The clear standout characters are Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and Juan (Tenoch Huerta). They were pretty badass and there’s a bit of mystery that lingers around them that I’d like explained a little further. I enjoyed following the journey of their characters
The Forever PurgeĀ releases in theaters on July 2, 2021. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Everardo Gout
Writers: James DeMonaco
Producers: Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, James DeMonaco, SĆ©bastien K. Lemercier
Executive Producers: Marcei A. Brown, Everardo Gout, Jeanette Volturno
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 43m
Rating: 3.5 out of 5