The First Purge Review

R: Strong disturbing violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug useUniversal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Platinum Dunes1 Hr and 37 MinutesDir: Gerard McMurray | Writers: James DeMonacoCast: Y'Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez, Marisa TomeiDamn it, I thought these movies were over! This franchise had at least an average trilogy that finished off the story. Now we have to take things back to the beginning. Why? Because Jason Blum and Universal love that sweet sweet dough.
After the rise of a third political party, the New Founding Fathers of America, an experiment is conducted, no laws for 12 hours on Staten Island. No one must stay during the experiment yet there is $5,000 for anyone who does.THE GOODOut of all these movies, this has to have the most wooden cast. While the predecessors had characters who overact and are way over the top, some of the actors here are stiff. But as far as the rest of the cast, Y’Lan Noel, (AKA Daniel from “Insecure”) is a good actor. While his character is a drug lord, he moves like a badass. From his skills and how he handles himself and the people he cares about, he’s pretty cool. He also has a good amount of charisma that isn’t either stiff nor over the top. Plus, as Issa Rae says, he’s
What I do like about this prequel is it’s initial setup where the first purge began as a controlled social experiment passed through by congress. The experiment site is Staten Island in New York because, just like New Yorkers, America doesn’t give a shit about Staten Island. Then again, I have family there so I can’t disrespect it like that.
Usually, all of the entries’ weakness is when they try to incorporate social commentary into the story. Here, it’s the movie’s biggest strength, not because of the relevance it has to our country, but because it’s a great addition to the madness that goes on in this movie. I’m not fully onboard with how the film exploits our political issues and use that as a means of entertainment, but then, YOU GOT BLACK PEOPLE SHOOTING UP KLANSMEN AND THAT IS A-OKAY!!THE BADThe movie uses real life political events to correlate to the first purge. In the background on a TV Noel’s character sees a news report where an anti-purge protest is occurring where they’re against a purge support group in North Carolina. Do you know what happened last year in North Carolina?!
The first purge movie focused on a suburban white family. “Anarchy” focused on many people, but primarily on a father out on his own vendetta. “Election Year” was mostly about a store clerk. What does this movie focus on? PUSHERS ON STATEN ISLAND! If “Superfly” wasn’t unnecessary enough this year (which also starred Lex Scott Davis), “The First Purge” aims itself for an entirely separate demographic than the horror fans that followed the series up until this point. We’re centered on a predominantly Black cast this time around, but they’re here portraying what Black people are only seen as today: pushers and activists. Dmitri (Y’Lan Noel) is the drug lord and Nya (Lex Scott Davis) is the activist. Then, we follow Nya’s younger brother Isaiah who has to be the dumbest character I’ve seen in film in a while.There are moments where the movie is... well, FUCKING STUPID and most of them are rooted from Isaiah's actions. Early on in the movie, this psychotic guy with veins for tattoos slashes Isaiah. Because of this, the kid goes out to take revenge and you’re just thinking, “Damn, this kid gonna die”. But, everyone knows that this guy, whose name is (I’m not kidding) Skeletor, is clinically insane. The fact that he is not imprisoned before the events took place is mind-boggling but Isaiah spends the night trying to be something he’s not; a thug.
There is a sequence where one of the characters accompanies a gang to a PURGE Party. I swear, once the character Isaiah asks what a purge party is the guy goes, “Shit, I don’t know but I’m going to go find out.” Granted, it’s a regular party but the name “purge party” throws everyone off as if they don’t know what the word “purge” means.The writing by James DeMonaco (who wrote all 4 entries and directed the previous three) is not only corny, but very meandering where all of the characters are one dimensional. There are no arcs to any of the characters introduced, but despite all the exposition set up and when you think there would be some follow-through with the characters, the movie just ends because HEY IT’S MORNING! The essence of the previous films are present but from a screenwriting standpoint, DeMonaco constantly recycles all of the worst elements from the previous three films and applies them here. From the lack of likable characters to the last minute deus ex machinas that have now just become moronic, “The First Purge” is just going through the motions.The only form DeMonaco’s presence is missed is in the direction. Not the direction he gives to his cast where most are over the top, but the way he directs the action. Here, the action sequences aren’t as well filmed as the others. While director Gerard McMurray does maintain it’s over the top and fetishized violence, you can’t really see it for its mostly done through shaky cam on top of very dark cinematography. When it focuses on some hand-to-hand combat sequences, especially when it gets to the climax, the action is exhilarating. It has a bit of a "Hardcore Henry" vibe at that point.“The First Purge” has to be the most woke purge film out of all of the releases for it uses material from America’s politics for means of the story. This movie might as well be Spike Lee’s wet dream because this is all about fighting the power against a racist government organization. Seriously, the organization who is in charge of the experiment is called the NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America). One can easily replace the letters with NRA. But if you want a subtly relevant film that is actually CRAAAZY, go watch “Sorry to Bother You”. I’m not the biggest fan of the film but it has enough style, relevance, and bold roles that you don’t see in modern cinema. There aren’t any gangsters or pushers and instead carries a very diverse cast.
LAST STATEMENTWhile it occasionally captures the fun low budget ultraviolence that makes audiences go wild and centers on a new environment, “The First Purge” recycles nearly all the tropes the series has presented to this point, down to the heavy-handed social commentary that tries too hard to coincide with America.Rating: 2.5/5 | 56%uper Scene: Dmitri takes out the Klan.