13 July 21 - The Forever Purge

“…Only full blooded Americans are welcomed here…” 

Blogspot readers, United States is divided. Besides by gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation and social class status, the biggest one is by race. There’s heated tension in the air in these days due to White supremacy and hatred against immigrants crossing the border seeking asylum for a better life. Real every day life however, blogspot readers, this is also the basis for the latest Purge movie – The Forever Purge. Ripped straight from the headlines, art has finally imitated the reality of life United States but without the ideal of annual “Purge” where all crime and murder is legal for 24 hours. Still one question remains – is the purge necessary? Keep that particular question in mind as you continue reading this review. 

The Forever Purge, the fifth movie within the Purge Series, picks up where Purge: Election ends. Apparently, the New Founding Fathers have suspended the annual purge for some time but now are reconsidering that decision since there’s an steady influx of immigrants crossing the Mexican border to the US. This causes a rise of White supremacy, hatred towards immigrants taking American jobs, fears of “rapists and bad hombres” spiking crime, and a return of the notion “America for real Americans”. Something that’s currently happening today. The movie centers around two families – one is our immigrant couple, Juan (Tenoch Huerta) and Adela (Ara de la Regera) [SouthSide doesn’t understand why the writers failed to give them a last name – more about that late], who cross the border seeking a better life in the U.S. The other family are wealthy Texan ranchers known as the Tuckers featuring Caleb Tucker (the patriarch of the family), son Dylan and his pregnant wife Harper and Dylan’s sister – Emma. SouthSide found it refreshing to have a character like Dylan in this particular Purge movie, blogspot readers. He clearly exemplified the “I’m not racist towards anyone but…” White American especially telling a friend during a dinner gathering he didn’t want his kids learning/speaking Spanish. 

Meanwhile, back to our immigrant couple, Adela works as a supervisor at meat packing plant while Juan works as a cowboy at the Tucker ranch. Reports of the annual purge returning …tensions are visibly seen across the tiny Texan town where they live. People purchasing their guns and weapons of choice as well as noticeable signs of a supremacy/Neo Nazi group, known as Purge Purification, is staging to make an appearance. Luckily, they’re able to hide with others in a safe house for twenty-four hours while many others aren’t …but those who survive to live another day aren’t either because someone has decided it’s time for a “Forever Purge” . The notion of taking back the country from “haves” for the “have nots”. Yet it’s mostly about cleansing the nation from immigrants who aren’t “full blooded Americans”. It’s total chaos across the U.S., blogspot readers! As luck would have it, our immigrant couple and the Tuckers are pitted together to cross the US-Mexico border in El Paso, TX for safety …and they have the difficult task of doing it within six hours. The journey alone tests their beliefs and faith within themselves as well as each other. It also happens to open Dylan’s eyes to which he somewhat experiences what Juan and Adela had when crossing Mexico to the US but in the reverse – leaving the US into Mexico to be the “American Dreamers”. Sorry, blogspot readers, no spoilers here, yet, this reviewer will say this – The New Founding Fathers America is being destroyed by a concept that no longer can be controlled. 

Quite a change of pace for a movie of this caliber. Surprisingly, with The Forever Purge being more political than its typical bloodied, murder fest, SouthSide thoroughly enjoyed it, blogspot readers. She was expecting elaborate methods of murder/crime/torture however, that took a backseat behind the concept/plot. The murders/killings are still embedded in this movie but it wasn’t really the focal point something this reviewer believes the writers wanted a more of a message approach than a violent hour and forty plus minute movie watching. From such tone, it’s clear that everyone has forgotten United States was and still is a nation of immigrants …unless you can trace your ancestry back to a Native American tribe. Then too, as pointed out in this movie, the purge was designed by the wealthy to rid the “ills” of the country – legally so they can golf the next day without any remorse. The people who purge are simply their lackeys doing their dirty work for them. Even when Dylan Tucker (Josh Lucas) states “everyone should stick to their own kind”, he does make a valid point, blogspot readers, because he doesn’t understand the Hispanic/Mexican culture and puts out doubt that they in turn understands his. The “American Dreamers” (what American refugees are called in Mexico) is a fun way to poke at DACA. SouthSide found herself laughing at the NeoNazi savoring each sound the bullets as he expertly names the gun they came from. This guy was totally rockin’ out to the pops and bangs. The only problem this reviewer had with Forever Purge is why our immigrant couple have a last name. She knows it’s not really important that they have one but why didn’t the writers tagged Juan and Adela with a “Vega” or “Vasquez” or a any common Hispanic last name. They were, after all, the main characters of this movie! 

Recommended.

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide