Fast forward 20-30 years from now, The Purge franchise will build up a stronger and more beloved reputation and will be looked back on as something really special and unique in the realm of Hollywood filmmaking. Granted, none of these movies are “Oscar worthy” nor are they intended to be a completely groundbreaking. That said, the concept of crime being legal for 12 continuous hours is very interesting idea that’s ripe for a horror movie, which then could lead to a franchise. No one wants to see a movie about people stealing things from a Walmart or robbing a bank because that would come off as incredibly boring and useless. We want to see murder. We want to see violence because that stuff sells big time. But what also makes these movies even more fascinating is it’s commentary angle. They didn’t first start off that way in the beginning with The Purge, but with each installment they progressively got more, albeit, heavy handed with its politics, but nothing that felt as if it was trying to sway you to think differently. The first Purge, back in the summer of 2013, gave audiences a taste of what an actual purge was like by placing it in one location with one family for the whole night. However, some felt as if it wasn’t enough because if you strip away the concept of a purge it felt like a home invasion movie–a really intense home invasion movie. But with The Purge: Anarchy, it took that brilliant concept and applied it too the streets and gave audiences a more violent and cold-blooded representation of the purge. Now some might believe The Purge: Election Year and The First Purge went down a road where American was supposedly at, from a reflection point of view, but they still stayed true to the it’s concept and what makes these movies outrageously entertaining. Plus, these movies are basically pocket change when it comes to the budgets for each one. They barely cost a nickel and they don’t feel bigger than they probably should and they don’t pretend to be. This could have been a Saw type deal where your first installment had something really promising and sharp, instead the Saw sequels didn’t have what made that first movie special. Instead they focused on the gore and the violence. With each Purge movie, and especially with The Forever Purge, they don’t shy away from the blood and guts, but they still use the concept with precision and they get the points across. The Forever Purge is the best Purge movie to date. It’s ruthless, visceral, brutal and it strikes a balance on being effectively topical and extremely entertaining. The characters are smarter, the world expansion is deep and this installment makes this franchise thriving.
We all know the concept of each Purge movie. One night of year, the New Founding Fathers have created this 12 continuous hour event where it legalizes any criminal activity, which does include murder. On the day before the purge commences, were focused on a family of ranchers, the Tucker family, in the great state of Texas, along side a Mexican couple, Juan (Tenoch Huerta) and Adela (Ana de la Reguera), who work the ranchers. During the night of the Purge, they pretty much keep it quiet while the ranchers lock down and Juan and Adela reside join a migrant community where other migrants stay for security and protection. On the morning after the purge, a group of masked violent Texans attack the Tucker family, which forces Juan, his wife and the Tucker family to bond together to stop these continuing their own purge, which they like to call the “Ever After Purge.”
If you thought any of the other Purge movies were washy with it’s politics, then prepare yourself with The Forever Purge. If being set in Texas wasn’t enough, some of the character interactions, shot compositions and even the opening credits could be in an indication on what you should expect from this Purge movie. That said, aside from its subject matter and heavy handedness, The Forever Purge dives deeper on the purge by expanding on the stakes by not being set during the annual purge itself. Something about this movie felt more intense, bleak and more penetrating. Even set during the annual purge, you still felt the tension and anxiety by being outside in the city at night because everything was open season for criminals to let loose. But something about a group of Texans continuing their own way of cleansing America felt a lot more terrifying, which made its concept stand out in spades. Seeing the chaos, the violence and complete destruction in the city of El Paso, Texas as our main characters make it through the city in hopes to get Juan And Adela across the Mexican border for safety, was intense and very reminiscent to events that happened last summer in America. But what it also does brilliantly is it makes the consequences of the purge more violent and more lethal, which is what installment did just as effectively as well.
With The Forever Purge, we’re introduced to a completely new set of characters and actors, which is kind of what makes these movies work. While some might find it cheap to see the same story applied to a different group of people, The Purge movies, aside from Anarchy and Election Year to a certain degree, give us new characters with different personalities and different dynamics instead of seeing the same thing happen to the same characters that have already been established. The Forever Purge is probably the one Purge movie that genuinely provides some serious heart and emotion with the relationship between Juan and Adela. Aside from them being Mexicans working for Texas family ranch (which is topical in of itself), director Everardo Valerio Gout understands the power this concept has by focusing on a romantic relationship, amidst the terror that’s happening in the city. He showcases the violence of humanity but he also displays some interesting character work with these two main figures. Josh Lucas is probably the only actor that’s remotely recognizable in this movie, but asides from the performances in this movie, Everardo Valerio Gout delivers on the purge, which then makes us care about our main characters.
You go to see a Purge movie in the hopes of being disturbed, entertained and awakened with it’s stance on politics. Everardo Valerio Gout delivers on maybe the best purge of all the Purge movies in a sadistic and glorious American nightmare. It’s more thoughtful and meaningful with it’s characters Despite this being the supposedly last one, hopefully Blumhouse Productions can crank out 6 more of these movies if they make it like The Forever Purge.
My grade for The Forever Purge: B+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 