The First Purge (2018)

March 21, 2022 9:08 AM

America's third political party, the New Founding Fathers of America, comes to power and conducts an experiment: no laws for 12 hours on Staten Island. No one has to stay on the island, but $5,000 is given to anyone who does.
posted by Literaryhero (12 comments total)

So I haven't seen this movie, but in my Google Calendar I have Monday March 21 from 7-8pm blocked off with nothing written but "the first purge" (all in lowercase). I have no recollection of this or any clue why I marked it.

Anyway I will watch it soon and maybe that will jar my memory, but the note must be MeFi related because a) I am not much of a horror person except here and b) I don't really talk to people anywhere else.
posted by Literaryhero at 9:11 AM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

It's not really a horror movie, but more of an action/thriller. Interesting backstory on the New Founding Fathers and the political/cultural rationale for the Purge. It's not a bad place to start if you're interested in the Purge films and TV series.
posted by SPrintF at 9:27 AM on March 21, 2022

The Purge series is provocative and riveting in that way that only stuff that exists on the cusp of knowing satire/unapologetic genre trash can be, like some of the better Roger Corman productions.

They can open weird possibilities and be extremely gutsy in how they explore them because the setup doesn't require everything to land or resolve. It's more like ideological shit stirring.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:40 AM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

I actually went and saw this in theaters AMA
posted by phunniemee at 11:55 AM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

The two things I remember most re. this movie are:

1. Marisa Tomei is in it, which I wasn't expecting, so I spent a good three minutes saying "is that Marisa Tomei? that's Marisa Tomei! wait, is that Marisa Tomei? it is! wow is she doing ok? get a big tax bill or smth?" to myself
and
2. the initial rollout of posters and branding had a red MAGA like cap in it, and the extreme on the nose brashness of that appealed to me
posted by phunniemee at 11:59 AM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

So I haven't seen this movie, but in my Google Calendar I have Monday March 21 from 7-8pm blocked off with nothing written but "the first purge" (all in lowercase). I have no recollection of this or any clue why I marked it.

By the way if this is a reminder to yourself to start your spring cleaning project and instead it brought you here I will be absolutely delighted.
posted by phunniemee at 12:02 PM on March 21, 2022 [4 favorites]

Purge anything that doesn't bring you joy!
posted by Naberius at 1:17 PM on March 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

I actually went and saw this in theaters AMA

I ALSO actually went and saw this in theaters because: FRANK GRILLO!
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 1:44 PM on March 22, 2022

Frank Grillo is that guy I always think is that other guy, and then I remember there is no other guy, I'm thinking of Frank Grillo.

I know him most from Prison Break.
posted by phunniemee at 6:29 AM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

I made a FF Talk post specifically for ridiculous Purge hypotheticals.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:57 AM on June 27, 2022

Just rewatched this tonight...oh man, the fucking blackface masks the mercs wear....
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:50 PM on July 3, 2022

I’m watching the Purges in in-universe chronological order tonight! I’d seen the first one in the franchise awhile ago so was basically familiar, but I thought this provided a good (if credulity-straining) jumping off point!
posted by quatsch at 7:14 PM on December 31, 2022