The Forever Purge
universalWhile the horror genre was once dominated by genuinely fun horror franchises like Saw, Final Destination and Paranormal Activity, recent years have seen the genre struggle to capture this same momentum. Most series are lucky to get one sequel and even those tend to be generally disliked. Arguably, the biggest new franchise of the modern horror genre – not including The Conjuring cinematic universe – is that of The Purge franchise. Capitalising on relevant political takes and a clever concept, the series might not be the most well-received but is undeniably successful with not just multiple sequels but also a spinoff tv show being made. Coming as the 5th feature film in the franchise, The Forever Purge was originally intended to bring the franchise to an end but sadly has lost that intention. Using the concept of ‘what if the killing didn't end after the official purge ended’, The Forever Purge is not only on-the-nose with its politics but is also one of the most dangerous films in recent memory. The feature is clearly attempting to do something productive, but it ends up achieving very little.
Clearly one of the biggest issues of The Forever Purge is of no fault of its own. As with the other recent editions in the series, The Forever Purge is a rather on-the-nose takedown of American right-winged politics and specifically the Trump Administration. While this politically relevant aspiration is completely respectable, especially when so many horror films decide to be rather brainless, The Forever Purge handles this in a distasteful and immediately dated manner. Had the film come out when originally scheduled in 2020, ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election later that year, it may have been able to scrape by; coming a year later after the Trump Administration left office, the film feels rather hollow. There is a vast amount of nuance that can be found in the political conversation, especially when it comes to morals, but the film finds none of this and instead does nothing to push the conversation that already has been started.
It doesn't help that the film is so distasteful when it comes to its own morals. From never truly rectifying the racist beliefs of various characters who have to put their beliefs to the side only for their own survival to the incredibly dangerous thesis that right-wing extremists could overtake America if they gave a true violent attempt – something all the more haunting after the January attack on the U.S. Capitol – the film is uncomfortable in the worst type of way. While plenty of audience members will be able to understand what the film is trying to say, the film is so ignorant with its own power that it fails to take the proper precautions to ensure audience members who it may be criticising won't gain a dangerous power from the feature itself. The movie is also simply upsetting from a narrative standpoint for the franchise. In a throwaway montage at the start of the film, The Forever Purge immediately invalidates and ignores the events and purpose of The Purge: Election Year making it beyond clear that the franchise has no sense of direction.
These aspects are all the more frustrating because of the positives within The Forever Purge. While the series has never been known for its great action or filmmaking, The Forever Purge genuinely features the best of these elements to date in the series. The cinematography from Luis Sansans is rather strong, with some sequences such as one long take in the center of the film being even impressive. The chaos of the action is highlighted by a mature hand, never getting too out of control with tools like a handheld camera. The acting is also some of the best seen in the franchise. While the screenplay they have to work with is nowhere near their quality, individuals like Tenoch Huerta and Ana de la Reguera truly elevate the material they are given and are the clear heart and soul of the film
The Forever Purge is possibly the perfect encapsulation of the larger franchise it belongs to. There are genuine, talented individuals working on the film and their skill does show, but the film's insistence on cheap and lackluster politics is not just problematic but also out of place. Had this franchise simply used its basic concept for what it was, it really could have been the next great horror franchise. In its desperate and immature attempts to be something more, it has ultimately self-destructed and, at this point, needs to be voted out of office.
