Molly Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Julia Batelaan, Emma de Paauw, Annelies Appelhof, Andre Dongelmans, Joost Bolt
• Directors: Colinda Bongers, Thijs Meuwese
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated:
  PG-13
  Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Artsploitation
• Release Date: October 2, 2018
• Run Time: 91 minutes

        Had Molly been a Hollywood film, it would feel like a dozen other postapocalyptic sci-fi films. Add to that a teenage protagonist with special supernatural abilities that may save the world, and little about Molly doesn’t feel derivative. The most original and impressive things about the film have to do with the production rather than the final product. Not only is the scope of the film more impressive due to the obvious budget limitations, but it also has the unique distinction of being from the Netherlands.

The First Purge Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Steve Harris, Marisa Tomei
• Director: Gerard McMurray
• Writer: James DeMonaco
• Producers: Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, Sebastien K. Lemercier
• Format: 4K
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: October 2, 2018
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Horror movies are an indicator of their times, and there seems to be no better example in the past decade than The Purge franchise. Following the unexpected attacks of 9/11, The Purge captured those anxieties in a home invasion thriller. And as the sequels continued the narrative, they only became more political, with the last installment utilizing a tagline that was blatantly borrowed from Donald Trump’s political campaign slogan. The First Purge is a prequel, but it is every bit as politically and socially relevant, even if it lacks the focus of previous installments.