The First Purge: A Nation Reborn (Review)

On July 4th, 2018, Director Gerard McMurray's addition to The Purge series, “The First Purge”, was released in theatres across the nation. Leading up to this film, in 2013, the very first film of this series was released titled, 'The Purge'. Following its success, two more films were added to the mysterious and intriguing series: 'The Purge: Anarchy' (2014) & 'The Purge: Election Year' (2016). I’m not sure about you, but this series is one that keeps you coming back for more. The clever, riveting, and charismatic idea behind each movie alone will make you wonder what else is to come for this series. The revealed intention behind The First Purge was to push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year. A government organization deemed "The New Founding Fathers of America" decided to test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. The initial crime rates were not as high as the founding fathers wanted and expected them to be so they made it there duty to do some killing themselves, by disguising as regular people in the community known as “Purgers”. But, when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion explodes from the trial-city borders and spreads across the nation.   

Have you ever wondered if this is what the world would actually come to if an annual killing period was legalized? Just the thought of it alone is distasteful and disturbing. 

But who doesn't love a good thought provoking, suspenseful thriller? The cast of “The First Purge” was actually a spectacular addition to this movie. The two main characters that carried the history embedded in this film are played by Y’Lan Noel (Demitri) and Lex Scott Davis (Nya). Davis is a rising actress best known for playing singer Toni Braxton in the Lifetime biopic, ‘Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart’. Y’lan Noel, a rising actor himself, is best known for his role as Daniel King in HBO's ‘Insecure’. Both actors have done fairly well for themselves in there rising careers and moving forward they’re both expected to do great things. I can’t wait to see what more these two have in store! In an interview with Flickering Myth, Director Gerard McMurray stated that he chose the neighborhood Park Hill in Staten Island, NY for this film because he felt that he could, “relate to the people, community, their struggles, what they were fighting for and what they believed in the most”. The First Purge isn't McMurray's first insightful film. McMurray is also known for Netflix's Burning Sands (2017) starring Trevor Jackson and Fruitvale Station (2013) starring Michael B. Jordan. All three films were best sellers and sold out in theatres across the nation. The First Purge earned $133 million at the box office, becoming the highest grossing entry in the Purge franchise. Just like its predecessors, the film has received mixed reviews from viewers. 

Do you think there will be a 5th film added to this series? I would surely be the first in the theatre to watch if there was one! If you haven’t yet seen the film it is definitely a must see! Watch The Trailer Here