Director: Everardo Gout
Notable Cast: Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh
Lucas, Will Patton, Cassidy Freeman, Veronica Falcon, Leven Rambin, Gregory
Zaragoza
When the Saw franchise ran with the marketing gimmick
of “if it’s Halloween, it’s Saw” because they essentially staked their
claim to the holiday season before being dethroned by Paranormal Activity,
they knew their drawing power. In the same vein, it is another Independence Day
and that means it’s time for a bit of Purge. For this fifth installment,
The Forever Purge, the series moves locales, adds a new voice in
director Everardo Gout, and continues to embed heavy-handed social commentary
within the confines of a genre exploitation heavy dose of street level chaos.
As most reviewers seem to note, yes, The Forever Purge is quite a bit
more of the same, but it injects just the right amount of fresh blood into the
mix - making for another provocatively entertaining slab of genre cinema.
After the political tables have turned once again, The
Purge, America’s 12 hour “holiday of freedom” where all illegal activities are
made legal, is once again reinstated. However, for a smaller town in Texas near
El Paso, the violence, hatred, and bigotry cannot be contained. A Mexican
couple must save their friends and neighbors as a rogue group of Ever After
Purgers declare a cleansing of the country and continue the Purge long after it
was supposed to end. The couple, along with some ranchers and friends, attempt
to make a run for the Mexican border for safety.
At the foundational layer of The Forever Purge, the
formula remains intact with a tight fist. The structure of the film, where we
are introduced to the basic concept of the film, followed by 15 to 20 minutes
of character build, the Purge violence, our protagonists on the run, the
introduction of a rebellion to the Purge, and so on, remains intact. For those
who are familiar with the Purge films, The Forever Purge is a bit
like putting on some well-worn, but comfortable pants. It’s not the most
refreshingly unique experience, but it’s one that certainly fits.
However, it is in the details that The Forever Purge
finds its voice. Yes, the Purge violence is mostly relegated to murder of
various degrees, but this time it’s in the daylight and harsh yellow tones of a
cinematic Texas. Yes, we have a group of diverse protagonists, but this time
it’s Hispanic workers and rich ranchers that must work together and come to put
aside their differences. Yes, there is a conspiracy element to it, but this
time it’s an extremist pro-Purge group that aims to use their access to weapons
and Purge paraphernalia to try and overthrow the system that allowed them that
ability. It’s the latter portion that seems to be the timeliest, considering
the events that happened post-election as a group of rioters stormed the US
capital. A fact that seems strangely prophetic considering The Forever Purge
was supposed to be released the year before those events became a reality. On
top of that, themes about war torn countries, refugees, immigration, and
reversal of roles certainly runs rampant throughout. It’s through these film
specific details that The Forever Purge hits its marks.
While returning writer James DeMonaco certainly sticks to
his guns here, word play fully intended for the doubters out there, it’s director
Everardo Gout that seems to be bringing in most of the voice and fresh tones of
the film. A veteran of some great cinematic TV, he brings quite a bit of
pizzazz as a director here. Long takes of our protagonists stalking through the
city of El Paso at night, stark and brutal action, and just enough of a sense
of tension and dread added to the mix to make sure that fans have trouble
deciding if this film fits in the horror or action categories (why not both?)
are all present and accounted for. However, it’s his treatment of the social
commentary - which is rarely subtext - that feels like he has an understanding
of the themes and intentions of the film in a way that pushes the subject
matter.
It is part of the charm of this series that it aims to strike
its audience like a baseball bat full of casing nails. The Forever Purge
fulfills that promise and then some. The performances are solid enough,
particularly from Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta who own the film as the
lead couple, and the action and tension are palpable for the series. If the
series continues to give fresh directorial voices (not just Gout, but McMurray
for The First Purge) a voice to bluntly state their social fears, then
this film series should continue forever as the title indicates. The Forever
Purge might be a lot of the same, but it’s a formula that packs a punch for
audiences with plenty of overtly abrasive things to say.
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