The First Purge

Name: The First Purge
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror, Crime
Released: July 4, 2018
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 54
Cast: Aaron V. Williamson, Christian Robinson, Chyna Layne, Cloé Xhauflaire, David Breda

2018

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Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 132 Ratings

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4.6

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4.6	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 132 Ratings

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The First Purge (Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: July 4, 2018 | R

Starring: Aaron V. Williamson, Christian Robinson, Chyna Layne, Cloé Xhauflaire, David Breda, Geoff Schuppert, Jermel Howard, Jessica Bell, John P. McGinty, Joivan Wade, Kristen Solis, Lauren Vélez, Lex Scott Davis, Maria Rivera, Marisa Tomei, Melonie Diaz, Mo, Mugga, Omari Hardwick, Patch Darragh, Qurrat Ann Kadwani, Rotimi, Rotimi Paul, Steve Harris, Y'lan Noel

Movie Facts:

The first three Purge films (The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy, and The Purge: Election Year) made over $215 million in combined domestic box office.

Summary: To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the marginalized, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spreadTo push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the marginalized, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.… Expand

Director: Gerard McMurray

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Awards & Rankings

87	#87 Most Discussed Movie of 2018

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Critic Reviews

Alan Zilberman

Jul 4, 2018

The result is an unabashedly violent B-movie throwback, the sort director John Carpenter used to make, with moments that resonate with real life. Read full review

Randall Colburn

Jul 3, 2018

The First Purge is every bit as nakedly, hysterically symbolic as its predecessors. But if there’s one thing that the current political climate is teaching us, it’s that a subtle touch isn’t always the solution. Read full review

Mark Olsen

Jul 4, 2018

It’s not difficult to decipher where McMurray and DeMonaco’s true allegiances are, but by delivering the story within the framework of genre cinema at its most trashy and garish, the filmmakers convey any message as a bit of rough pleasure amid the kicks and thrills of a movie. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Jul 3, 2018

Even the most ardent fan could find its bluntness uncomfortably timely: In our build-that-wall moment, a story about a government-sponsored plan to cull poor minorities feels less like political satire than current-affairs commentary. Read full review

Jim Slotek

Jul 5, 2018

The First Purge has a lot of narrative and unsubtle subtext to cram into a movie that’s barely 90 minutes long. In fact, its big, violent finish notwithstanding, a lot of it is quite dull and its pacing inconsistent. Read full review

Nick Romano

Jul 4, 2018

While trying to hit the basic markers that have come to define a Purge film, The First Purge comes up empty when mining real-life tragedies as the backdrop for a summer movie. Read full review

Carla Meyer

Jul 4, 2018

First Purge further lessens the drama by offering a hero and villains too mercenary to care about. Read full review

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User Reviews

dairia

Feb 24, 2019

purge is film where theres bad government that dislikes the poor and wants the rich to become spiteful and disrespect the poor so they can stop giving money to people who can't work or has low wage work.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Armywild

Jul 23, 2018

La película buena, la trama es original, sin embargo pudieron explotar mejor los argumentos del inicio de la purga,el inicio y final muy bien, desarrollo algo lento hasta poder ver acción Así que un 7 es mas que suficiente

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

24fourtwenty

Mar 17, 2020

This movie is ok.
There is a lot of action and violence but you see nothing new in the movie.
The first purge with ethan hawke has better actors and part three has a better story.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GrantD243

Jul 6, 2018

I very much like the Purge franchise on a conceptual level. I think that the idea of the Purge offers up a very interesting premise that could be turned into some great movies. Unfortunately, though, the Purge movies (outside of the first installment) have not been all that great. They'veI very much like the Purge franchise on a conceptual level. I think that the idea of the Purge offers up a very interesting premise that could be turned into some great movies. Unfortunately, though, the Purge movies (outside of the first installment) have not been all that great. They've been decent flicks to watch if you're bored one afternoon or just want to eat some popcorn and watch people die, but that's about it. The story of this one follows the cast of characters on the night of the first Purge. Given this, I figured that the beginning of the movie would give us a somewhat detailed look at how the decision to have the Purge came about. We are kind of given that, I guess. We get an incredibly cringey interview at the beginning between a doctor and a potential Purge participator that basically gives us the origin of the name, and the rationale behind the decision to have it is explained as well. But after those little tidbits, the film dives straight into setting up the characters. I like a lot of the elements of The First Purge's story: how the New Founding Fathers' motivations factor into the experiment, how the people on the island initially act when the Purge starts, and how the Government gets involved later on. It did what a prequel should: add more to the movies that come after it in the timeline. However, this film tries to be so, so timely with its social commentary, and it gets to be a bit much at times. And that heavy handedness really brought down my enjoyment of the film more than I expected. Also, outside of the Government being a bit more involved this time around, The First Purge turns into just another Purge movie around the halfway point. There's some nice action, and some death, but otherwise it's nothing new. The concept here was good, the execution...not so much.

Characters: Dmitri (Y'lan Noel) is not only the best character in this film, but he's really the only character worth anything. He's the only one with any real depth, and it also helps that the actor portraying him has some real chops. All of the other main characters are completely two dimensional and are not particularly likable, either. I also have to say that I guess Blumhouse wanted to have as many crazy Purgers as possible in this film, but they are so over the top that they come off as people pretending to be crazy. One of the main "crazy" Purgers, Skeletor, is laughably bad. Without Dmitri, this cast would have been extremely weak. And, to top things off, Dmitri is a drug dealer...and he was the most likable character in the film despite not changing much by the end. That's something. Script: The writing for most of this film is horrendous. Extremely cheesy dialogue, but that's nothing new for the Purge franchise. Cinematography/Effects: Blumhouse is known for making decent looking movies on a super low budget, but I think that The First Purge may be their first film in a while that actually shows its low budget quite a bit. The sound effects are often recycled and sound like they came from a cheap sound pack, and some of the visual effects are downright terrible. If you see the film, watch for the blood effects in the scene that involves smoke grenades. It's not good. Cinematography wise, there's nothing special here, but it's decent. Overall: I was entertained by the action and most of the story of The First Purge, and I liked the character of Dmitri, but outside of those things this film is barely passable as a popcorn flick, even by my relatively low standards for Blumhouse movies.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

JLuis_001

Jul 22, 2018

All the films in this franchise have been regular and bad, accept it, face it, don't deny it to me, but there is something I must admit. The first film did had in some way an interesting message. A message that was inevitably lost in the mismanagement of the plot and the story and the needAll the films in this franchise have been regular and bad, accept it, face it, don't deny it to me, but there is something I must admit. The first film did had in some way an interesting message. A message that was inevitably lost in the mismanagement of the plot and the story and the need to carry everything with violence but it's understandable because after all, the plot of the film dealt precisely with violence but it's not necessary for your story to become just that.

The sequels, both the second and the third became something else, changed the scenario and became full-frontal action films and once again we cannot deny that the theme of the stories lent itself precisely for that, but evidently as I just say recently, in action films what becomes predictable also becomes boring and both films were boring, yes they did have action, you could call it entertainment somehow but how long can that last?

This prequel doesn't change anything and in fact it's practically irrelevant that it is a prequel. It's true it offers the origin of the purge but was it necessary? no, it wasn't.
It doesn't let you see anything that was essential or indispensable to understand the other films, therefore it's more of the same, with the same quality and as irrelevant and inconsequential as you can probably imagine.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

UnReelReviews

Jul 7, 2018

The First purge is the actual prequel that people asked for but basically never got because this movie is trash. The First Purge was a movie excited for but unfortunately I was very disappointed. The biggest issue with this movie is that it doesn't actually answer the question of how theThe First purge is the actual prequel that people asked for but basically never got because this movie is trash. The First Purge was a movie excited for but unfortunately I was very disappointed. The biggest issue with this movie is that it doesn't actually answer the question of how the first purge came to be. It opens like every other purge movie and we start with a bad montage of violence and rioting and then 10 minutes later we get the first annual purge is starting. The next big issue is the lead character, while though a compelling performance given the character he plays is completely uncomparable. There is no reason at all that we would want to route for this man and his friends because they are all basically bad people.

the action scenes in this movie are lazy and poorly made, the gun effects and sound designs sound like someone searched up gun noise online and made that the sound effect. The odd decision to use cgi blood also doesn't help because it always looks bad and looks like blood from an old 1980's shooter, where someone blood always sprays from the one part even when their shot somewhere else.

this movie is disappointing and is just another excuse to get more funds and is probably my least favourite of the bunch.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

Starwarsfan0001

Oct 6, 2019

This movie is hateful, racist, and inflammatory. I would go so far as to call it propaganda whose goal is to incite a race riot. I loved the first movie so much and each installment has become more extremist and hateful.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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