THE FIRST PURGE
The ever-shocking franchise rewinds to the night it all began…
The world of The Purge has always felt just a few steps away from our own. Now onto its fourth instalment, the satirical horror series is stepping back in time and examining the origins of the social experiment where, for one night a year, all crime is legalised – including murder.
Director Gerard McMurray says that making a prequel allowed him to bring the horror closer to the real world. “I’d often think about what my version of the Purge would be like, in the America that I know," he tells Red Alert. A self-confessed fan of the series, he says that he was “eager to dig into the idea and concept of the experiment that led to it. The First Purge allowed me to explore this world further and bring a fresh new perspective to the story that audiences have never seen before.”
An impoverished Staten Island community is chosen by the NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America) to test-run the inaugural slaughterthon. Y’Lan Noel plays William, the kingpin of Park Hill, forced to step up and help his community survive. Another person thrust into action is Nya (Lex Scott Davis). “She’s a community leader who opposes the Purge, but stays to try to protect her people,” says McMurray. Completing the trio of protagonists is Marisa Tomei’s Architect. “She believes that she is simply conducting a social experiment on her theory that humans need to purge their anger. However, she soon learns that the NFFA have been manipulating her experiment.”
Like all of the films in the series, The First Purge is a horror thriller first and a political satire second. However, McMurray admits that he saw it as a chance to confront modern prejudices. “This film confronts the idea of class warfare in America,” says McMurray. “I think my unique perspective lends itself well to this particular story, because I am able to explore social issues like racism and classism in a unique way.” WS
The First Purge is in cinemas from 4 July.