''The First Purge'' is a 2018 American
dystopian
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
directed by Gerard McMurray and starring
Y'lan Noel
Y'lan Noel (born May 21, 1988) is a Panamanian-American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel King in the HBO television series '' Insecure'' (2016–2018). He played the lead role in the 2018 horror film ''The First Purge''.
Early life
No ...
,
Lex Scott Davis,
Joivan Wade
Joivan Wade ( ; born 23 July 1993) is an English actor known for playing Manyou in the BBC comedy television series '' Big School'', Jordan Johnson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and Cyborg (comics), Victor Stone/Cyborg in the HBO Max se ...
, and
Steve Harris. Written and co-executive produced by
James DeMonaco
James DeMonaco (born October 12, 1969) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the ''Purge'' franchise, writing all five films in the series and directing the first three, ''The Purge'' (2013), ''Anarc ...
, it is the first film of
''The Purge'' series not to be directed by him.
It is the fourth installment in the
''Purge'' franchise. The film is a
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
depicting the origins of the annual "Purge", a 12-hour span once a year in which all crime in America, including murder, rape and arson, is legal; it originates as an experiment confined to
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
with the promise that those who stay on the island for its duration will be paid a large sum of money, but a new political party, the New Founding Fathers, is determined to get the results they want by any means necessary.
''The First Purge'' was released on July 4, 2018, by
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. It has grossed over $137 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing entry in the
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
, but received mixed reviews from critics like its predecessors. The fifth installment, ''
The Forever Purge
''The Forever Purge'' is a 2021 American dystopian action horror film directed by Everardo Valerio Gout and written by series creator James DeMonaco, who also produced along with Jason Blum and Michael Bay. Originally intended as the final instal ...
'', was released on July 2, 2021.
Plot
In an alternate 2014, rising unemployment, lack of jobs, rising inflation and a housing crisis leads to the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), led by U.S. president Bracken, to replace the Democrats and Republicans as the most powerful political party in the United States. A crazed drug addict named Skeletor discusses his dark thoughts, including his desire to "purge" and unleash his hatred on other people. An NFFA employee tells Skeletor that he can very soon.
Two years later, in 2016, NFFA chief of staff Arlo Sabian and
sociologist Dr. May Updale announce an experiment to take place on
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
where for 12 hours, citizens will be allowed to purge and release their inhibitions in any way they choose, including murder. The NFFA offers residents $5,000 to stay during the experiment, with additional compensation if they join the purge and survive. They also outfit the participants with contact lens cameras so that they can monitor all activity and put tracking devices in them so they will know if they try to leave the island.
Low-lying drug kingpin and businessman Dmitri tells his dealers that they will not be leaving the island, as moving his large amounts of money and product will draw too much attention, and tells them to stay in a safe house and lay low. Dealer Capital A decides to defy this order and go out and purge, while newbie dealer Isaiah is attacked and injured by Skeletor. Isaiah goes to his sister Nya, an anti-Purge activist and Dmitri's ex-girlfriend, for treatment. As people flee Staten Island, Nya joins her friends Dolores, Luisa, and Selina in a church to wait out the Purge. Dmitri has stayed behind, Anna and Elsa, two prostitutes, are sent by his dealers to his office to keep him company. Skeletor commits the first Purge murder, and the video recorded by the NFFA goes viral. The NFFA also observe that most of the crimes taking place are minor ones such as looting, vandalism, disorderly conduct, and public disturbances like loud parties, as opposed to the expected violent ones like murder.
Isaiah secretly joins the Purge to get his revenge on Skeletor. He eventually confronts him during the Purge but cannot shoot him. Isaiah runs off and into more purgers, before hiding and calling Nya for help. Anna and Elsa are revealed to be Purgers who attempt to kill Dmitri, but Dmitri fights them off and learns that Capital A had sent them in an attempt to take over Dmitri's business. Skeletor captures Nya in the streets and attempts to rape her, but Isaiah wounds him and they escape. Capital A and his crew go to Dmitri's office to thank Anna and Elsa for killing Dmitri, but Dmitri and his gang ambush him and kill them all, except for Anna and Elsa, who are told to never return to Staten Island. Nya and Isaiah return to the church to see blood-soaked white supremacist bikers leaving it. Although Nya's friend Luisa and her daughter Selina survive, Dolores' fate is unknown. They all return to Nya's apartment, where Dolores eventually manages to make it safely.
Meanwhile, at the NFFA headquarters, Updale becomes suspicious of a sudden increase in murder, along with the presence of masked participants. As she reviews the video footage of the Purge and notices vans full of masked killers arriving, she realizes to her horror that the masked participants are trained mercenary groups killing multiple civilians. Sabian explains that he sent the mercenaries to make the experiment look successful, and eventually to help balance the wealth disequilibrium amongst the rich and the poor. Updale protests this tampering, realizing that the NFFA only wants to eradicate the poor to save the expense of social programs. Knowing that his corruption has been exposed, Sabian has Updale taken to Staten Island and executed, before erasing all footage of the event.
Dmitri and his gang escape through the streets, until unknown assailants attack them. Dmitri disposes of them all and discovers they are mercenaries. Realizing they were sent by the NFFA, who had also dumped weapons into the neighborhood to provoke participation, Dmitri and his crew decide to take a stand against them and protect the neighborhood. After saving local shop owner and friend Freddy and his associates, they go to Nya's apartment building to try and save her and her friends, but NFFA drones shoot and kill most of Dmitri's gang. Dmitri calls Nya and warns her of the mercenaries' invasion, but he is coming to help her. Dmitri successfully kills a number of mercenaries and helps Nya's group to hide in a safe space. A second group of mercenaries are about to shoot a
rocket-propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are a ...
into the apartments when a deranged Skeletor arrives and eliminates some mercenaries before he himself is killed. Dmitri grabs a piece of
plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of explosive material. Within the field of explosives engineering, plastic explosives are also known as putty explosives
or blastics.
Plastic explosives are especially suited for explos ...
, throws it and shoots it repeatedly until it explodes, killing the remaining mercenaries. As sirens sound the end of the Purge, a wounded Dmitri is hailed as a hero, and he states that the survivors must somehow fight back.
During the end credits, Sabian reads a statement calling this experimental Purge a success, and that a nationwide Purge may begin as soon as the following year, which leads into the events of the other films and directly ties into ''
The Purge
''The Purge'' is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, which are written and in some cases also d ...
'' television series.
Cast
*
Y'lan Noel
Y'lan Noel (born May 21, 1988) is a Panamanian-American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel King in the HBO television series '' Insecure'' (2016–2018). He played the lead role in the 2018 horror film ''The First Purge''.
Early life
No ...
as Dmitri Cimber,
a businessman and a gang kingpin
*
Lex Scott Davis as Nya Charms, an anti-Purge activist
*
Joivan Wade
Joivan Wade ( ; born 23 July 1993) is an English actor known for playing Manyou in the BBC comedy television series '' Big School'', Jordan Johnson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and Cyborg (comics), Victor Stone/Cyborg in the HBO Max se ...
as Isaiah Charms, Nya's younger brother
* Mugga as Dolores, a friend of Nya
* Patch Darragh as Arlo Sabian/Chief of Staff, the Chief of Staff of the NFFA
*
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attention ...
as Dr. May Updale/The Architect, the NFFA's sociologist and architect
*
Lauren Vélez
Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress and the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her most notable television roles are as María LaGuerta on Showtime (TV network), Showtime's ''Dexter (TV series), Dexter' ...
as Luisa, mother of Selina
* Kristen Solis as Selina, a friend of Nya
* Rotimi Paul as Skeletor, an insane drug addicted serial killer who goes out on Purge night to unleash his anger on other people
*
Mo McRae
Mo McRae (born July 4, 1982) is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his recurring role as Tyler in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' as well as Leon Hayes in the 2006 film ''Gridiron Gang''. He starred in Fox's '' Pitch''.
R ...
as 7 & 7, a gang member of Dmitri
* Jermel Howard as Lorenzo, one of the gang members of Dmitri
*
Siya
Michele Sherman (born March 23, 1987), better known by her stage name Siya, is an American rapper. In 2012, she signed with Tank's R&B Money label imprint. She starred in the Oxygen reality TV series '' Sisterhood of Hip Hop''. Siya has collabo ...
as Blaise, a gang member of Dmitri
* Christian Robinson as Capital A, one of the gang members turned traitor
*
Steve Harris as Freddy, member of the Three Wise Men of Staten Island
* Derek Basco as Taz, Freddy's best friend and one of the Three Wise Men
* DK Bowser as Sharpie, member of the Three Wise Men
* Mitchell Edwards as Kels, a member of Dmitri's gang and Isaiah's friend
* Maria Rivera as Anna, a call girl hired by Capital A to seduce and assassinate Dmitri
*
Chyna Layne
Chyna Layne is a Jamaican American actress who has appeared in a number of films and television productions, including the movie '' Precious'', the television movie ''Life Support'', and the television drama ''Push''.
Career
Layne has appeared ...
as Elsa, a second call girl hired by Capital A to seduce and assassinate Dmitri
* Ian Blackman as NFFA President Bracken, the newly sworn in President of the NFFA
*
Melonie Diaz
Melonie Diaz (born April 25, 1984) is an American film and television actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She received Independent Spirit Awards nominations for performance ...
as Juani, a Purge prospect
* Naszir Nance as Terence, a member of Dmitri's gang
* Peter Johnson as Pastor Carl Almory, a church leader
*
Levy Tran
Levy Tran (born November 16, 1983), born as Vy Le Tran, is an American actress and model, best known for her role as Roenick in the 2018 film ''The First Purge'', Desi Nguyen in ''MacGyver'', the guest hostess to MTV's ''Guy Code'', for her appe ...
as Roenick, worker for the NFFA
* Kevin Carrigan as General Smiley, the leader and general of a NFFA Paramilitary force dispatched to kill the poor
*
Desiigner
Sidney Royel Selby III (born May 3, 1997), better known by his stage name Desiigner, is an American rapper and singer. In December 2015, his debut single "Panda" reached number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2019, he was released fr ...
as a member of Kels' crew.
*
Qurrat Ann Kadwani
Qurrat Ann Kadwani (born May 10, 1981) is an American television actress, playwright and film producer of Indian descent. She is known for ''They Call Me Q'', ''Intrusion'' and '' The Fifth of November.''
Early life and career
Kadwani was rais ...
as News Reporter #3
*
Cindy Robinson
Cindy Robinson is an American voice actress who voices in animations and video games. Some of her major roles are Makoto Nanaya and Gii from the ''Blazblue'' series, Betty Boop in commercials, Queen Beryl in '' Sailor Moon'', Chitose Nanbu in ...
as the Purge Emergency Broadcast System announcement voice (uncredited)
Production
In September 2016,
James DeMonaco
James DeMonaco (born October 12, 1969) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the ''Purge'' franchise, writing all five films in the series and directing the first three, ''The Purge'' (2013), ''Anarc ...
, the creator of the franchise, said that the fourth film, a follow-up to 2016's ''
The Purge: Election Year'', would be a prequel to the trilogy, showing how the United States came to the point of accepting the Purge Night. On February 17, 2017, DeMonaco announced that the fourth installment in
''The Purge'' franchise was in development at
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. DeMonaco did not return as director, but wrote the script and produced the film, with
Jason Blum
Jason Ferus Blum "Jason Ferus Blum was born in LA in 1969 to Shirley Neilsen, an art professor, and Irving Blum, an art dealer" (; born 1969) is an American film and television producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, whic ...
of
Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse Productions (; also known as BH Productions or simply BH) is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum.
It is known mainly for producing horror films, such as ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Insidio ...
,
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...
,
Andrew Form
Andrew Form (born 1969) is an American film producer, best known for producing the films '' Friday the 13th'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', and ''The Purge''. He is the co-founder of company Platinum Dunes along with Michael Bay and Brad F ...
, and
Brad Fuller of
Platinum Dunes
Platinum Dunes is an American production company founded in November 2001 by filmmakers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form. The company produces horror films, such as ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'', ''The Purge'', ''Friday the 13th (20 ...
, and Sébastien K. Lemercier.
In July 2017, Gerard McMurray, the director of
Sundance film ''
Burning Sands'', was hired to direct the film from the script by DeMonaco.
On September 19, 2017, newcomers
Y'lan Noel
Y'lan Noel (born May 21, 1988) is a Panamanian-American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel King in the HBO television series '' Insecure'' (2016–2018). He played the lead role in the 2018 horror film ''The First Purge''.
Early life
No ...
and
Lex Scott Davis were cast in the film as the lead characters, and the setting was announced as
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began in mid-September 2017 in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
. Filming wrapped on November 8, 2017. Kevin Lax composed the score for the film, replacing Nathan Whitehead.
Back Lot Music
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
released the soundtrack.
Release
''The First Purge'' was released on July 4, 2018, by
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
. It has grossed over $137 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing entry in the franchise, but received mixed reviews from critics like its predecessors.
The film was released on
Digital HD
A digital copy is a commercially distributed computer file containing a media product such as a film or music album. The term contrasts this computer file with the physical copy (typically a DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, or Ultra HD Blu-ray disc) wit ...
on September 18 and on
4K UHD
4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) is the dominan ...
,
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
,
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
was released on October 2.
Reception
Box office
''The First Purge'' grossed $69.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $67.5 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $137 million, against a production budget of $13 million.
[
In the United States and Canada, ''The First Purge'' was released on July 4, 2018, and was projected to gross around $25–36 million from 3,031 theaters over its five-day opening weekend. The film made $9.3 million on its first day, including $2.5 million from Tuesday night previews at 2,350 theaters, and $4.6 million on its second.] It went on to open to $17.2 million (and a five-day total of $31.1 million), finishing fourth at the box office.
Critical response
On review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "''The First Purge'' should satisfy fans of the franchise and filmgoers in the mood for violent vicarious thrills, even if its subtextual reach exceeds its grasp." On Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.[ The film drew attention for its critique of the Trump administration and ]U.S. politics
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that Separation of powers, share powers. These are: the United States Congress, U.S. Congre ...
in general.
According to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board
(English: "For Intelligent and Responsible Viewing")
, employees = More than 33
, chief1_name = Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio
, chief1_position = Chairperson
, agency_type = Film and television classification
, parent_agency ...
of the Philippines (MTRCB), the film contains mature themes, racism, excessive violence, sex and nudity, strong language, and drug use that may not be suitable for viewers under eighteen years old. The MTRCB classified the film as rated R-18.
Sequel
The fifth installment, a direct sequel, ''The Forever Purge
''The Forever Purge'' is a 2021 American dystopian action horror film directed by Everardo Valerio Gout and written by series creator James DeMonaco, who also produced along with Jason Blum and Michael Bay. Originally intended as the final instal ...
'', was released on July 2, 2021.
See also
* List of African American films of the 2010s
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Purge, The
The Purge films
2018 films
2018 action thriller films
2018 crime thriller films
2018 horror thriller films
2018 science fiction action films
2010s action horror films
2010s science fiction horror films
2010s science fiction thriller films
2010s serial killer films
African-American action films
African-American horror films
American action horror films
American action thriller films
American crime thriller films
American horror thriller films
American science fiction action films
American science fiction horror films
American science fiction thriller films
Hood films
American serial killer films
Crime horror films
American dystopian films
Films about corruption in the United States
Films about siblings
Films about terrorism in the United States
Films produced by Andrew Form
Films produced by Bradley Fuller
Films produced by Jason Blum
Films produced by Michael Bay
Films set in 2014
Films set in 2016
Films set in Staten Island
Films shot in Buffalo, New York
Films with screenplays by James DeMonaco
Platinum Dunes films
Blumhouse Productions films
Prequel films
Urban survival films
Social science fiction films
Universal Pictures films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films
American prequel films