Have you imagined what it would be like for a society to be in a state of lawlessness? A situation where anything and everything can happen, with no law in place to regulate and punish any act. You can say, a state of anarchy. Have you or can you imagine what such a society, state or country would look like? If not, then maybe the movie in this review will give you some exposition into what that could look like.
The First Purge is a 2018 horror/action film, written by James DeMonaco and directed by Gerard McMurray. It features the cast of Y'lan Noel as Dmitri Cimber, Lex Scott Davisas as Nya Charms, Joivan Wade as Isaiah Charms, Steve Harris as Freddy, and Marisa Tomei as Dr. May Updale. The film happens to be the fourth instalment in “The Purge” franchise, with it serving as a prequel to the foundation of the purge events.
The film shows the origins of the “Purge” which is a 12-hour period in which all crime in America is allowed without any consequences. You might be asking, why? Yes, why should there be such a thing in a society or country? Well, the “why” was to see a reduction in crime, with the claim that when people get the opportunity to vent their aggression within that period, there'll be peace for the rest of the year. Every theory needs to be tested, and The First Purge was the test for this.
The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) became the most powerful political party in the United States, and would go on to have its candidate Bracken elected as President in 2016. Dr. May Updale, a sociologist suggested the experiment which was announced to take place in Staten Island. More to it was that the NFFA offered 5,000 dollars to citizens who would stay in Staten Island during the 12-hour purge period, and more compensation if they would partake in the purge and survive. Yes, because even murder was allowed.
This already drew the attention of different kinds of people. From those who just want to survive to those who want to partake in the purge, wreak havoc, destruction and even commit murder. While some were hiding, others were out “purging” and some like Dmitri, a gang boss, were fighting against the supposed “purgers” to protect the neighbourhood. It was a bid for a social experiment, at least what Dr. May Updale thought it would strictly be, not realising some underlying intentions of the NFFA.
Serving as the origin of the purge was the point of this film. It delivered that, making it clear why “The Purge” movies happened, which saw a man being chased by a group during the purge into a wealthy family's house, that was supposed to be safe from the purge activities. It gave context and filled in the background details to the existence of the purge. This however presents a shift from the suspenseful survival horror of the earlier movies into this fast-paced urban action movie.
It was more action-packed and had fewer horror elements, shifting from the franchise formula of slow-paced horror. The lead performance of Y'lan Noel was a strong and good one, bringing charisma, action and intensity to the movie. The gang leader-to-protector was a commendable portrayal. The performances of Lex Scott Davisas and Joivan Wade are commendable in the execution of their roles and portrayal of their characters.
The film did well in delivering the intended message. The strength of the film lies in the strong central concept and effective social commentary. That adds to the film, more than just a fast-paced action film with a plot and storyline that you wouldn't want to imagine happening, not to talk of witnessing it. The chaos, destruction and fear were captured; the purge's origin was explained and what The First Purge looked like was portrayed.
Thank you for reading!
Rating: 58/100
