The Forever Purge is a 2021 dystopian action horror film directed by Everardo Gout, and written and co-produced by James DeMonaco, the original writer and creator of The Purge franchise. The film picks up after the events of 2016’s The Purge Election Year (full review here), which deemed The Purge outlawed and no longer an annual event. The premise follows a Mexican couple who flee to Texas on the run from a dangerous drug cartel on the cusp of the annual Purge which has been reinstated. The cartel is the least of their problems as they fight to fend off vicious thugs who decide the annual tradition won’t end this year. The cast includes Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Alejandro Edda, and Will Patton.
The original The Purge hit theaters back in 2013, and I remember loving the premise. I mean sure it’s dark and very, very violent, but the overall idea behind the concept of the film made sense. Sort of a forced version of natural selection that took place once a year, and allowed those who wanted to engage the opportunity to return to the old days of the Wild West, but with modern weaponry. I really liked the first film, and felt like The Purge Anarchy was the perfect follow-up with a badass Frank Grillo taking on the role of protector.
That one day of the year gave extra power to those with violent tendencies and the bank account to support their rage, and the films began to get more political as the franchise progressed, which made sense considering this is a Government sanctioned “holiday” after all. Would you engage in a real-life Purge day?! I could see myself riding down the street on my 4-wheeler with a sawed off shotgun looking real cool dressed in all black with a sweet mask, but I’d likely last 30 seconds. But hey, nothing says 4th of July weekend like a new Purge movie, am I right?! Something political that I can get behind. U.S.A!! U.S.A!!!
Delayed from an original July 2020 release date due to that pesky COVID-19 pandemic, The Forever Purge officially hit theaters July 2nd, 2021, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
THE GOOD
The Purge franchise has carved out it’s own unique niche in the action thriller/horror genre with some heavy political undertones, but more than anything else it has always remained relevant, and that continues to be the case with The Forever Purge. Admittedly, I had fairly tempered expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised with this movie - it was an exciting and engaging experience from start to finish. I am very much conservative and to be honest I can’t stand politics, but I have eyes and ears and a functioning brain, so I usually have a pretty good idea what is going on. Now when I say political undertones I’m not talking about that preachy BS we are used to getting force fed, I am talking about the darker side of politics felt by the average citizen of this great nation. The hate and the divide that has reared it’s head as much in the last year or so as ever before thanks in large part to the irresponsible and toxic media. Rich vs poor, black vs white, you name it, we’ve dealt with it. This movie faces it all head on without shoving anything down your throat, because at the end of the day, actions speak louder than words. And as Will Patton’s character emphatically points out, this country has never been more divided. The Forever Purge will test your allegiances and force you to choose hate or unity, and I say bring it on!
Politics and racial tensions aside, The Purge Forever is a damn good movie. The acting is great, the production value is top-notch, and it never once feels slow or boring. It is really just non-stop action, and the hour and 40 minutes or so absolutely flies by. Writer/creator James DeMonaco proves once again just how talented he is, creating an immersive experience that excites and terrifies audiences in equal measure. Every violent interaction feels authentic, and you feel for the characters who are forced to band together to survive. The masks used in the movie are extremely creative and as good as anything you will see in a high quality horror movie, I mean those rabbit masks with the blood red eyes, that is all business. On the technical side, I thought the soundtrack and score was fantastic, and the cinematography played a huge part in the gritty feel of the movie. As I mentioned previously the production value is some of the best you will see, further reinforcing why this franchise is still going strong. It really doesn’t rely too much on CGI, and instead delivers some amazing stunt work for the action sequences.
As I mentioned the acting is great, lead by Will Patton even though he had a more limited role. Ana de la Reguera took on a lead role and did one heck of a job. She may not be a household name at this point, but she was in the recently released Netflix original film Army of the Dead, as well as the Amazon Prime original series Goliath, alongside Billy Bob Thornton. She is talented and will continue to make waves in Hollywood. Veteran actor Josh Lucas, who has been in the game for 30+ years, was fantastic. He was most recently in The Secret: Dare to Dream, Ford v Ferrari, and the drama series Yellowstone. I was very impressed with Tenoch Huerta and Alejandro Edda as well. I also have to give a shout out to my guy Gregory Zaragoza, who was in The Last of the Mohicans way back in the day. From the stars to the supporting cast, I can’t say enough about the acting which is honestly pretty rare for a movie like this that can usually skate by on everything else it has going for it.
THE BAD
Even though I did say I kept my expectations in check as you should with any franchise on it’s 5th movie, I really don’t have much negative to say about The Forever Purge. I know some of the previous films have felt a bit preachy and spent too much time on the politics, but that just isn’t the case here. The premise is already engrained, so DeMonaco is able to create great characters and an immersive storyline and it just works.
THE VERDICT
As intensely violent as it is relevant, James DeMonaco’s The Forever Purge is a non-stop edge-of-your-seat thriller and is easily one of the best films in the franchise. I remember seeing the original in theaters and thinking to myself, what would I do if the annual Purge was a real thing? I mean the idea behind this government sanctioned holiday really doesn’t feel that far fetched, and that is easily the most terrifying thing about these movies. Plus if I am someone who prefers to stay out of harms way during the annual Purge, you better believe I wouldn’t be living in Texas that is for damn sure. I mean, just watch Hell or High Water, literally everybody is armed.
In many ways The Forever Purge feels like part 1 of 2 because of how it ends, so fingers crossed it does well in the box office and DeMonaco can work his magic once again. It’s simple, if you enjoyed any of the Purge movies or just appreciate a really good thriller, grab a friend and get over to the movie theater pronto - you won’t be disappointed.
TED TAKES RATING - 8/10
The Forever Purge is now playing only in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
Read our review for the previous film, 2016’s The Purge: Election Year here.