Adela and her husband, Juan, live in Texas, where he works as a ranch hand for the wealthy
Tucker family. On the morning after the Purge, a masked gang of killers attacks
the Tuckers, forcing both families to band together and fight back.
Director: Everardo Valerio Gout
Cast: Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh
Lucas, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Alejandro Edda, Will Patton
Release Date: July 2, 2021
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated R for strong/bloody violence, and
language throughout
Runtime: 1 h 43 min
Review:
The Purge films have always bore the
hallmarks of being decedents of 70’s exploitation films like Soylent Green or Logan’s Run. High
concept sci-fi films with politically timely ideas addressed in less than
subtle means. The Purge series has
always been one of the bluntest objects since it hit the scene with each film
capturing a moment in time. Each film
has had solid conceits but none of them have been able to nail the execution
with the latest and likely final film, The Forever Purge, continuing that
trend. The Forever Purge delivers its
social political commentary with the subtly of a sledgehammer. This entry somehow manages to be even less
subtle than previous entries, which is saying something. Amid all the bloodshed and mayhem the most
frightening thing about the film is that some of insanity on display veers
incredibly close to real life events. A
better script could have made some incredibly nascent points about our current
environment but this film just isn’t up to the task. It makes its points in the most obvious and
overt ways possible even spelling it in case it wasn’t abundantly clear. They do manage to keep things fresh by
refocusing the story on a Mexican couple in Texas after focusing on various other classes or
races. Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch
Huerta turn in capable performances as the leads. Both are able to handle action and emotional
moments with ease making the film more watchable than it deserves to be. Josh Lucas and Leven Rambin round out the
main cast and turn in solid supporting roles even if the film doesn’t ask much
of them. The Forever Purge isn’t close
to being the best in the series but the cast ultimately makes it watchable in
spite of its shortcomings.
C
