If they stuck to the plan, The Forever Purge would have had more bite. The sequel to the notorious action/horror franchise was supposed to come out in 2020 but was delayed because of the pandemic. It captures a real sense of unease: it depicts a United States where polarization and animosity are at an all-time high, then presents a future where violence is the only answer. Its climax takes place at El Paso, a city known (regrettably) for its proximity to the border and recent gun violence. In the dystopia of The Forever Purge, the border wall is already built. Director Everardo Gout and longtime screenwriter James DeMonaco are almost cynical in the way they prey on real, palpable anxieties – especially during an election year.
But does all that “ripped from the headlines” atmosphere make for a good film? It does, as long as you’re willing to accept its inherent nastiness and brutality. Since this film is the fifth one in the franchise, you should probably have a good idea about that by now. This time around, Gout centers on a Texas ranch, one where Juan (Tenoch Huerta) works as a cowboy after crossing the US-Mexico border. His wife Adela (Ana de la Reguera) joins him, and they have built a nice life for themselves. Juan’s boss is Dylan (Josh Lucas), the ranch owner who is not as openly racist as other white men in the community. They all survive the Purge – a twelve-hour period where all crime, including murder, is legal – except something is off when they return to work. There is a violent insurrection, and a group of violent Purgers want to make the lawlessness permanent.
What follows is a series of shoot-outs, chases, and daring escapes. Impressively, Gout and DeMonaco manage to shoehorn many subgenres into a modest runtime. There is the initial horror, of course, but then the film morphs into a Western, a chase film, and finally an invasion thriller. Gout weaves through these modes impressively and assures his fans that if they are bored by one particular scene, that feeling will not last long. In formal terms, The Forever Purge is blunt and effective. Gout’s camera hurriedly establishes the geography of an area, then uses surprise and misdirection to create a series of violent encounters. Many, many characters get shot in the head. Cout knows this is a simple setup, so he compensates through controlled manic energy.
On top of all that violence and mayhem, there is the political aspect to the film. This entry is arguably more political than The Purge: Election Year because it had the Trump administration for its inspiration. The Purgers speak in the language of white grievance, and not just because they are racist (although they are). The wealthy ranchers are also the victims this time, putting a neat reversal of the early films that wallow among the deviant rich. One subplot through the film is Dylan being forced to pick a side. He has something in common with both the Mexican ranch hands and the Purgers, and while the conclusion is obvious, there is decent character work here. This subplot does not quite earn its resolution, although it at least adds another level of tension when Dylan and Juan earn mutual trust.
Lucas is the most recognizable name in the film. He is also a good fit for this material, underplaying his loutishness so that the audience must decide what to make of him. Everyone else is similarly effective, with de la Reguera as the clear standout as a strong woman with a complicated past. There is a temptation to show these Mexican characters as “the good ones,” but Gout avoids that cliché by depicting ordinary people in an extraordinary situation (there is a halfhearted explanation for why Adela can handle a rifle so well, but it’s almost unnecessary). As always, the premise does most of the work, except there are enough acting flourishes that audiences may be surprised by how they come to care for these characters.
The Purge might arguably be the most self-aware horror franchise. It suggests that people need a release, to grapple with their darkest selves, which is something longtime genre fans know all about. It has a dark sense of humor, usually at the audience’s expense, and knows they will eat it up anyway. For all its dystopian provocation, there is finally a rewarding, moralistic point of view. That means the Purge films will have its grimy place in the movies, even if it is an ultimately safe one.
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