Movie Review: ‘The Forever Purge’ Blu-ray

Review by Lauryn Angel

Beginning with the second film, the Purge franchise has embraced social commentary – income inequality, elections, and racial tensions. So it’s no surprise that The Forever Purge takes on immigration. However, the heavy-handedness of the message and predictability of the plot make this film less satisfying than previous installments.

The film is set in Texas, where Mexican immigrants Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and Juan (Tenoch Huerta) have recently escaped from cartels who forced them from their home in Mexico. It’s time for the annual Purge, their first, and they are understandably nervous. Meanwhile, Juan’s employers, the Tucker family, settle in for their own Purge night. Dylan Tucker (Josh Lucas) is the focus here. Dylan is the type of person who will claim he is not racist, but during a tense dinner conversation makes it clear that does not want a Mexican nanny for his yet-to-be-born child and that Spanish will not be spoken in his home. His antagonism toward Juan is established early on, and it’s predictable that these two families will be thrown together.

Purge night passes without incident for the families – unusual for a Purge film, but the focus here is on what comes after. A group of rebels has decided that 12 hours is not enough and take it upon themselves to enact a “Forever Purge” to rid the country of un-American elements and return it to a “pure” state. This includes immigrants like Adela and Juan, but also those whose wealth and power are deemed exploitative, making the Tucker family targets as well.

Part of the problem here is with the Forever Purgers themselves. While there is a sense that this group has some sort of organization behind it, there is no clear strategy. Some Forever Purgers hide behind masks and thank their victims for “their cooperation,” while others go after their employers for perceived slights. The closest thing to a leader this group seems to have is a caricature of a white supremacist who calls Mexicans “bad hombres.” Writer James DeMonaco wants to make sure we get the reference, but the reference is so heavy-handed that we can’t miss it.

The other problem I had with the film is its predictability. Dylan’s wife, Cassidy (Cassidy Freeman) is very pregnant, and it’s clear from the start that she will go into labor at some point to complicate the action. It’s also clear that Juan and Dylan will end up thrown together, so Dylan will have to confront his latent racism.

Finally, this film is still billed as a horror film, but it’s more action than horror. There’s little suspense here, and certainly nothing scary. There’s enough action to keep the film moving at a steady pace, but nothing truly memorable. The ideas behind the film are horrifying, but the execution less so.

If you’re bored and looking for cheesy one-liners and mild social critique, The Forever Purge might do the trick for you.