The First Purge
Rating: 1.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
I think going from a movie like The Purge: Election Year, which is arguably the best film in the franchise, to The First Purge is such a disappointing move to make. I think the series could have ended with the trilogy of films and not have tried to find some sort of inspiration to craft more movies. There is not a doubt in my mind that The First Purge was simply approached as a cash grab for the studio, and even the mind behind this entire series, James DeMonaco, didn't return to direct this installment. To me, if I was interested in this series when it was first coming out, I would have taken that as a major red flag. This entire film simply doesn't work well for me at all, and I think the only thing that could possibly save a portion of this film is Rotimi Paul's chilling performance as Skeletor.
This film documents the first annual Purge, a tradition every year that allows Americans to commit any sort of criminal act they want. It starts out as a trial from the New Founding Fathers at first, taking place on Staten Island and offering whoever can stay on the Island during that time a cash reward. While some decide to take a peaceful approach to this night that could cause mayhem and havoc, there are others that have more sinister plots. At the same time, crime boss Dmitri Cimber (Y'lan Noel) finds himself thrown in the middle to protect both his business and those he cares about.
As a whole, this film truly doesn't know what it exactly wants to be. There are numerous different subplots and ideas that go into this film that don't do a great job of fully blending together. This movie desperately thinks it is making a statement against political leaders and scientists who adopt these bizarre ideas into the real world, but feels incredibly superficial and acting like it is edgy when it's truly not. I would have preferred the other Purge movies where they know their films are cheesy and scary at the same time, not something that feels forced and fake. I'm not sure what DeMonaco was thinking when crafting this film, or perhaps he was maybe pressured into going down this path.
At the same time, I truly couldn't get behind the plot revolving around Dmitri and his crime organization. There isn't really anything there to get me to care about the characters, and to be frank, the performances here aren't too great. It seems like the actors are sort of phoning in these characters and they're not entirely sure what these characters are supposed to be in the constraints of this film. I think the stories where we take everyday people and show how they are supposed to survive in a world like this seems so much more interesting than watching a criminal gang take on the crazies during the night of the Purge. In a way, it sort of makes these characters feel more equipped for a night like this, and that is simply not what the film should be.
The one thing I did enjoy about this film is the very end, when the government decides to bring in a group of mercenaries to start killing the residents in low-income housing to help rid the country of people they deem "unworthy of life". I think this entire segment is the only point of the movie that is necessarily unsettling and scary, and I think the directing from Gerard McMurray and how he conducts his DOP Anastas Michos is done quite well.
The one standout performance here is given by Paul as Skeletor, who is genuinely frightening and unsettling from beginning to end. Paul does a brilliant job of crafting this character and really making him stand out from the rest. From the way he talks to the various mannerisms he has to the downright terrifying character design, this might genuinely be one of the best villains in the Purge series. It's just a shame they put him in a film like this where they truly won't let him shine.
The First Purge should have never been made. There is no reason for it whatsoever, and the series could have easily concluded with this film's predecessor. I think this is the problem with major blockbuster franchises anymore: the studios only care about milking this cash cow than make genuinely good movies that audiences want to go see. While I already didn't think this series was great as a whole, this movie just proved that they could reach new lows.
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