The First Purge (15)
The fourth entry in the dystopian horror series goes back to the very beginning as we see how the annual Purge came into being.
Yep, we’re in prequel territory and will have to wait until the next sequel — or the upcoming Purge TV series — to see the filmmakers build on the third movie’s intriguing climax.
That in itself is a bit of a shame, but the story of how the New Founding Fathers of America introduce the violent experiment of a 24-hour law-free society makes for a fascinating enough alternative.
Though the director of the previous three films, James DeMonaco, returns to script this prequel, he hands over the reins to Gerard McMurray (Burning Sands).
Bar the first entry’s Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey and, to a lesser extent, the sequels’ Frank Grillo, the Purge franchise has been short on big-name stars — and the closest this instalment gets to one is Marisa Tomei (Dr Updale).
The beauty of that, though, is that you never know who is going to make it to the end credits — a welcome boon to any horror flick — and because none of the major characters pop up in future movies, all bets are off here.
It adds to the tension and in a divided United States under Donald Trump’s rule, the release of each Purge film seems to get closer and closer to portraying an America that could one