- Actors : Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Josh Lucas
- Director : Everardo Valerio Gout
- Writers : James DeMonaco
- Producers : Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
- Studio : Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Country of Origin : USA
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Media Format : NTSC, Digital_copy
- Number of discs : 2
- Run time : 1 hour and 44 minutes
- Release date : September 28, 2021
The subtlety of the Purge franchise ended with
the decision to release an installment called The Purge: Election Year
during an actual election year. Even set in an alternate/future America, there are
clear parallels and commentary in each release of the horror film franchise,
and The Forever Purge may be the most transparent of the series. With a conservative
portion of the population deciding to refuse to follow the established rules of
the system in a violent insurrection, it doesn’t take a genius to make the connection
to the post-election Capital riots.
Even without that allegory, the movie directly addresses
issues of immigration, the border wall, and racism in America. Unfortunately, by
reducing the actual horror elements from the film, it plays out more like a
fear-mongering liberal nightmare than a piece of entertainment. Horror movies
are inherently political, but they should also be somewhat fun to watch. The
Forever Purge gets so comfortable on a soap box that is seems to forget
what genre it is.
Not so subtly
set in Texas, along the border of Mexico, the film introduces us to a new set
of characters just before the beginning of the newly reinstated Purge. Adela (Ana
de la Reguera) and Juan (Tenoch Huerta) cross the border and obtain jobs. Juan
works on a ranch belonging to Caleb Tucker (Will Patton), a man who is kind and
generous, though his son Dylan (Josh Lucas) shows hints of racism. The Tucker family,
including Dylan’s sister Harper (Leven Rambin) and his pregnant wife Cassidy (Cassidy
Freeman), all make it through The Purge with their advanced lockdown shutters.
Adela and Juan also survive the night by joining a group of immigrants who pool
their money for protection.
As opposed to
previous films, we see relatively little of the actual Purge. The film really
begins to pick up the morning after the event has ended. An anarchistic group
has planned a mass continuation of The Purge, with the primary intent of ridding
the country of undesirables such as immigrants. Then there are some who are
looking to balance the scales of wealth, which puts the Tuckers at risk. When
Juan and his Mexican co-worker (Alejandro Edda) save the Tucker family from an
invasion, the two groups band together in an effort to escape as refuges to Mexico.
As mentioned, this film is not subtle in its satire, particularly not irony.
When certain facts
are revealed about Adela and Juan’s past which explain their above average
ability to defend and fight back against the ongoing Purge. At the same time,
the film takes place in Texas and there is an indication within the set-up that
this is reason enough for everyone to be comfortable handling weapons. What is
unfortunate about this added development is that the narrative becomes much
more action-focused, with the horror primarily only found in the creative mask
and costume choices of the Purgers.
The Blu-ray release
of The Forever Purge includes three ways to watch the film: the high definition
Blu-ray discs, a DVD copy of the film, and a digital code for Movies Anywhere.
The discs themselves also include a deleted scene and a storyboard presentation
of the imagined alternate opening for the film. There is also a featurette on
the wardrobe choices, which are a highlight of the film in terms of actual
Purge elements, and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 4/10
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