The Purge/The Purge 2

When the original “The Purge" came out, I was excited. I love low budget movies (if you want to call 3 million low budget) that takes place in one location (especially because my upcoming digital feature ”Escape” is action/thriller that takes place in one location like Die Hard or Panic Room). What I saw was a lot crazier than I imagined (Don't worry bout spoilers).

In 2022, crime and unemployment rates in the United States reach unprecedented lows. This is because the country is now governed by the New Founding Fathers of America who have enacted The Purge, a twelve-hour period held from 7:00 PM March 21 to 7:00 AM March 22 annually during which all crime (including theft, rape and murder) is completely legal. The only rules during the Purge is that government officials "ranking 10 or higher" must remain unharmed and the usage of weaponry above "Class 4" is forbidden. Also, police and emergency services are suspended during this time period. Anyone who doesn't follow the rules of The Purge will be executed. Though presented as a catharsis for the release of negative emotions and repressed urges, the Purge really serves as a form of population control as the poor and the homeless are common victims of crime during this period.

If you ever heard of “Sundown Towns" (please google it) the concept of the 1st purge won’t shock you as much. Black man gets caught up somewhere after dark and a whole bunch of white people try to kill him. That’s been going on for a while now, the purge is just a modern version of it..they kind of took out the element of white supremacy and just made it seem like the whole world got involved but you can’t escape the fact at the end of the day.

Now I won’t lie to you, I sat and watched the whole film. I love thrillers. Ethan hawk is one of my favorite actors (no, not because of training day) but the sundown town and NWO connections (reducing the population) stick out more than anything. That’s probably why I couldn’t enjoy the second film in theaters.

In the new film, its March 21, 2023, hours before the Annual Purge, while television programs credit the Purge for record low unemployment and poverty levels, people across the country are preparing either to commit acts of violence or barricade themselves indoors against the mayhem. In Los Angeles, Eva Sanchez (Carmen Ejogo), a waitress, rushes home to her daughter Cali (Zoe Soul) and her terminally ill father Papa Rico (John Beasley). As they prepare to lock down for the evening, her father slips out of the apartment and into a waiting limo. He leaves behind a note explaining that he sold himself to a wealthy family as a Purge offering in exchange for $100,000 which will be transferred to Eva's and Cali's bank accounts following the Purge (and as that wealthy white family stand around him preparing to kill this black man, you really feel the white supremacy).

A couple named Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are driving to the house of Shane's sister to wait out the Purge. They stop at a market but when they return to their car, Shane is attacked by a man with his face painted whose gang silently taunts them. They quickly drive away but their car stops running just as the Purge commences at 7:00 PM. The gang shows up, forcing Shane and Liz to flee. At the same time, police sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) goes out into the streets to get revenge on the man who killed his son while driving under the influence of alcohol. Leo is skilled in combat and is heavily armed with a machine gun and several handguns; he drives an armor-plated car (for less than 10 minutes).

I literally just sat there and stared at the screen. Never jumped, got scared or got emotionally involved. I can’t figure out why. Did the last 6 months of playing Grand theft auto online desensitize violence in my eyes? (cause anyone who played that game can tell you, that film is exactly was goes on every day in Los Santos). Was it the years of writing and reading books on screenwriting formulas that made the film too predictable?  Or maybe because I knew it was the sabbath and had church in the morning and the images of everybody killing each other wasn’t helping me get closer to God. Either or, I had mix feelings about the films.

I love action thrillers. The film’s direction, editing, cinematography, the acting is all on point. I give each film an 7 out of 10. Would of been 10 each but the white supremacy and NWO ideology takes points off.