''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, ap ...

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 Noe ...

Lex Scott Davis Alexis Scott Davis is an American actress. She is known for playing Nya in ''The First Purge'' and Toni Braxton in the 2016 Lifetime television film '' Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart''. In 2017, she had a starring role in the short-lived CBS dr ...

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 Victor Stone/Cyborg in the HBO Max series ''Doom Pa ...

, 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 Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

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 Americ ...

. 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 fifth installment, '' The Forever Purge'', 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

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 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, 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 ...

'' television series.

Cast

as Dmitri Cimber, a businessman and a gang kingpin *

as Nya Charms, an anti-Purge activist *

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 attentio ...

as Dr. May Updale/The Architect, the NFFA's sociologist and architect * Lauren Vélez 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''. ...

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 collabora ...

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 app ...

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 f ...

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,

, 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 Americ ...

. 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 ...

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'', '' Insid ...

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 ...

, Andrew Form, 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 13t ...

, and Sébastien K. Lemercier. In July 2017, Gerard McMurray, the director of

Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pla ...

film '' Burning Sands'', was hired to direct the film from the script by DeMonaco. On September 19, 2017, newcomers

and

were cast in the film as the lead characters, and the setting was announced as

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 ...

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 Sou ...

. 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

. 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 on September 18 and on 4K UHD,

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 st ...

, DVD 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

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 Wan ...

, 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 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 average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, 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 share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...

in general. According to the

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board ( fil, Lupon sa Rebyu at Klasipikasyon ng Pelikula at Telebisyon; abbreviated as MTRCB) is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is respon ...

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'', was released on July 2, 2021.

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