The First Purge

The Purge was meant to protect our democracy. One night of the year where all crime regardless of how heinous, including murder, is legal. This is where it all started. "The First Purge: A Nation Reborn" available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD is the fourth film in the horror franchise. This is the beginning of the end. The establishment has fallen and in its place a governing conglomerate that calls itself the New Founding Fathers of America, the NFFA, are decidedly instituting some new radical initiatives to serve the population.

Staten Island, New York is ground zero. This is where the NFFA has decided to initiate their "great experiment". Under the watchful eye of the architect of the event, Dr. Updale played by Marisa Tomei, the world watches as communities and neighbors prepare to hunt one another and "purge" on the first full 12-hours where any crime including murder is allowed. Participation is encouraged, in fact it is largely rewarded as the underprivileged citizens are given $5000 to start and with each new violent act, they stand to increase their economic fortune.

Community organizer Nya (Lex Scott Davis) has rallied against the NFFA and is working to convince her neighbors that the NFFA doesn't have their best interest, but is in fact exploiting the struggling and impoverished neighborhood. When it becomes clear that the experiment will proceed, she turns her attention to protecting the people. Drug Lord Dmitri (Y'lan Noel) isn't going down without a fight either, though he encourages his people to stand their ground and not engage; the moment that first blood is drawn, slowly the chaos and butchery begins.

When the experiment isn't yielding the desired number of hits to satisfy the corrupt government's quota, hate groups and paramilitary agents are unleashed on the unsuspecting population focusing their attacks on safe havens like churches – taking out as many unarmed citizens as possible. With their community rapidly becoming a war zone much to the delight of the NFFA, the people begin to fight back! Nya and her brother Isaiah (Joivan Wade) do their best to protect their home and keep neighbors safe, but soon they find themselves in the crosshairs of invaders!

"The First Purge" continues to evoke the same over-the-top violence of its predecessors; the maddening chaos is enough to keep any audience tense. The biggest difference in this installment is the mostly minority cast which really allows for a new perspective to be explored. The prequel details a dangerous frightening future that given the state of our current situation in America feels more relevant than ever. The Blu-ray bonus features explore the filmmaker's decision to go down this path to enhance the franchise narrative, and go behind-the-scenes to reveal more.

When "The Purge" was introduced in 2013, few would have anticipated that we'd find ourselves ever close to mirroring the dystopian nightmare that Ethan Hawke's insurance salesmen faced in protecting his home and hearth in that film. The franchise is written by James DeMonaco and "The First Purge" is directed by Gerard McMurray, the prequel stays close to home and the fears that many living in America recently feel have that the country is on the verge of losing its soul making "The First Purge" feel more like a possible fact than fiction.

"The First Purge - A Nation Reborn"
available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD
$14.99
www.uphe.com