Dir: Everardo Gout
Starring: Ana de la Reguera, Josh Lucas, Tenoch Huerta, Leven Rambin, and Will Patton
1 hr 43 min
The absolute horror of director Everardo Gout and franchise writer James DeMonaco's film "The Forever Purge" is that their depictions of a dystopian America feel far too similar to the emotions felt during the past year and a half. The hypothetical element of imagining America in a state of despair, where the government has implemented a day-long, authority-free, crime wave to dispel the aggressions that people hold inside them all year, is the worst-case scenario with "The Purge" films.
It's the purpose for every one of these films, "The Forever Purge" is the fifth in the franchise, to incorporate elements found in the current state of the world. Whether the compromised sense of order, the political discontent, the electoral process, or the case with "The Forever Purge," the racism found in America. Its edgy surface-level analysis of the topics doesn't lend much to the conversation of these issues as a whole. However, they do find effectiveness when combined into a film with a slant towards the horror genre.
Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and her husband Juan (Tenoch Huerta) are new immigrants in a small Texas town where Juan is a ranch hand for the wealthy Tucker family. Juan is a skilled worker; while calming a wide stallion, he impresses the owner of the ranch Caleb (Will Patton), but that fuels the jealousy of Caleb's son, Dylan (Josh Lucas). A masked gang of killers attacks the Tucker family on the morning after The Purge, breaking the government's time restrictions for this event. Adela and Juan join forces with the Tucker family to fight back and make it to the haven of the Mexico border as the country spirals into chaos.
Mask wearing, weapon brandishing, bad guys stalk the streets in The Purge films. The stalker cinema tactics are on full display in all these films; jump scares, graphic scenes of violence, and a general push towards showing the demented nature of people who live without boundaries. "The Forever Purge" taps into these elements initially but soon venture into something more akin to "Red Dawn," as the Purge turns into a full-scale overthrow of the United States.
The narrative tries for some insight and social commentary surrounding racism and the state of the world regarding civil rights and freedoms for immigrants. Still, most of these moments are undercut by big shootouts and bad guys with masks jumping into the frame to introduce the scare tactics. The racism and discrimination presented within the Tucker Family towards Adela and Juan, specifically Josh Lucas' character Dylan, is easily excused when the worst racists enjoying the Purge come knocking on the door.
"The Forever Purge" tries to tap into the feelings current in the world; there are a few moments where the horror is genuine and scary with themes of racism and injustice. Unfortunately, these moments feel pushed to the side for simple thrills and explosions.
Monte's Rating
2.50 out of 5.00
