In the shadow of a divided America, one experimental night ignites the flames of anarchy – but at what primal cost?
Step into the harrowing prelude of a franchise that redefined modern horror, where The First Purge (2018) strips away the veneer of society to expose the raw instincts lurking beneath. This prequel masterfully unravels the origins of the Purge, blending pulse-pounding suspense with sharp social critique.
- The experimental roots of the Purge on a quarantined Staten Island, testing humanity’s darkest impulses under the guise of crime reduction.
- Dmitri’s transformation from reluctant defender to symbol of resistance, highlighting themes of community and resilience amid chaos.
- A prescient mirror to real-world divisions, cementing the film’s place in horror’s evolution as both entertainment and warning.
The First Purge (2018): Origins of Anarchy in a Fractured Nation
The Experiment That Shattered Innocence
The film plunges viewers into 2016, a pivotal year marked by political upheaval and social fracture across America. The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), a shadowy far-right organisation, propose a radical solution to plummeting approval ratings and rising crime: a 12-hour suspension of all laws on a trial basis. Staten Island becomes the unwitting laboratory, its residents lured by incentives to participate in what officials frame as a therapeutic release valve for aggression. Quarantined and monitored, the island transforms into a pressure cooker where desperation meets desperation.
Director Gerard McMurray crafts this setup with meticulous tension, drawing from real psychological studies on aggression and deindividuation. Cameras dot every corner, turning citizens into unwilling stars of a twisted reality show broadcast to the nation. The opening act builds dread through mundane details – families stockpiling supplies, graffiti scrawled with warnings, and uneasy alliances forming in dimly lit apartments. McMurray avoids cheap jump scares, opting instead for the slow burn of inevitability, where the true horror lies not in monsters, but in the mirror of human nature.
At the heart of this maelstrom stands Dmitri Cimberton, a self-made factory owner played with quiet intensity by Y’lan Noel. Initially apolitical and focused on his business, Dmitri represents the everyday striver caught in extraordinary circumstances. His apartment complex becomes a microcosm of the island’s diversity – immigrants, blue-collar workers, activists – all huddled together as sirens blare the commencement of the Purge. McMurray uses wide shots of rain-slicked streets and flickering neon to evoke a sense of isolation, amplifying the claustrophobia despite the open urban sprawl.
The NFFA’s Dr. May Upshaw, portrayed by Marisa Tomei, embodies the cold calculus of power. Her clinical demeanour as she observes the unfolding carnage from a control room underscores the film’s indictment of detached authority. Tomei’s performance layers subtle unease into every briefing, hinting at cracks in the experiment’s facade. As violence erupts – opportunistic looters clashing with roving death squads – the narrative dissects how quickly civility erodes when accountability vanishes.
Staten Island Under Siege: Battleground of the Soul
Staten Island serves as more than backdrop; it pulses with gritty authenticity. McMurray, a native New Yorker, films on location to capture the borough’s working-class grit – rusted ferries, derelict warehouses, and tight-knit blocks where neighbours know each other’s sins. The Purge’s rules allow homicide, rape, and destruction without legal repercussion, but the film innovates by introducing armed mercenaries, corporate-backed killers in tactical gear who escalate the threat beyond random vigilantism.
These invaders, led by the sadistic Skeletor (Rotimi), clad in skeletal face paint and wielding military hardware, represent outsourced brutality. Their assault on Dmitri’s building marks the film’s visceral centrepiece, a symphony of improvised defences and desperate counterattacks. Chainsaws whine through metal doors, Molotov cocktails arc through shattered windows, and the soundtrack throbs with a hip-hop infused score by Michael Abels, blending industrial percussion with urgent beats to mirror the cultural clash.
Dmitri’s evolution anchors the chaos. From barricading doors to fashioning weapons from factory scraps, he rallies his neighbours into a unified front. Scenes of communal cooking amid blackouts humanise the horror, revealing bonds forged in fire. Nya (Lex Scott Davis), a fierce activist documenting the atrocities, challenges Dmitri’s initial cynicism, sparking a romance tempered by survival. Their chemistry grounds the spectacle, reminding audiences that hope flickers even in apocalypse.
The film’s practical effects shine here – blood squibs burst realistically, limbs sever with tangible weight, avoiding overreliance on CGI that plagued earlier entries. Production designer Rick Butler transforms everyday locales into fortresses, with jury-rigged traps evoking Home Alone twisted through a horror lens. This tactile approach heightens immersion, making every kill feel earned and every narrow escape a triumph of ingenuity.
Race, Class, and Rage: The Purge’s Unflinching Mirror
The First Purge sharpens the franchise’s social scalpel, zeroing in on racial and economic divides amplified by the experiment. Dmitri, a black entrepreneur rising from poverty, confronts white supremacist purgees who target minority enclaves first. McMurray weaves in references to real events – police brutality, gentrification – without preachiness, letting actions speak. A harrowing sequence where mercenaries broadcast racist taunts via hacked screens underscores systemic violence masked as chaos.
Class warfare erupts as wealthy outsiders exploit the island’s poor. The NFFA’s incentives – cash payouts for participation – prey on economic desperation, turning survival into a perverse lottery. Dr. Upshaw’s data logs reveal plummeting heart rates among killers, suggesting catharsis, yet the film counters with evidence of community resistance lowering violence rates. This dialectic challenges viewers to question narratives of innate savagery versus nurtured solidarity.
Feminist undertones emerge through characters like Nya and Dolores (Ana González Abelló), a Latina elder who wields a shotgun with maternal fury. Their agency subverts victim tropes, portraying women as strategists in the fightback. McMurray draws from blaxploitation roots and 70s vigilante films, updating them for millennial anxieties about inequality and authoritarianism.
The climax atop a skyscraper observation deck fuses personal vendettas with broader rebellion. Dmitri unmasks Skeletor in a brutal melee, symbolising triumph over faceless oppression. As the Purge ends, helicopters extract survivors while NFFA suits celebrate manipulated results, priming the nation for nationwide adoption. This twist lands with chilling prescience, released amid heated elections.
Cinematic Terror Tactics: Sound, Fury, and Fright
McMurray’s horror arsenal favours atmosphere over excess. Cinematographer Michael Dallatorre employs Dutch angles and fish-eye lenses during rampages, distorting reality to mimic disorientation. Night vision feeds from purge cams intercut with handheld footage, creating a found-footage hybrid that blurs observer and participant.
Sound design proves revelatory – distant gunfire echoes like thunder, laboured breaths rasp in silence, and the Purge siren wails with Doppler effect for mounting panic. Abels’ score evolves from ominous drones to anthemic swells during resistance montages, nodding to horror composers like John Carpenter while infusing urban edge.
Makeup and prosthetics excel in gore sequences, with Skeletor’s grinning skull evoking Jason Voorhees yet personalised through Rotimi’s manic glee. The film’s restraint – kills serve story, not shock – elevates it above torture porn peers, earning praise for intelligent scares.
Editing by Peter McLennan sharpens pacing, cross-cutting between control room machinations and street-level horror to build symphony-like crescendos. This technical prowess ensures The First Purge resonates on home video, ideal for collectors savouring layered rewatches.
From Prequel to Phenomenon: Echoes in Horror Canon
As the franchise’s origin, the film retrofits earlier Purges with experimental grounding, enriching lore without contradicting canon. It expands mythology – NFFA’s pharma ties, purge tech evolution – inviting fan theories on viral spread. Box office success, grossing over $137 million on $13 million budget, validated Blumhouse’s microbudget model.
Cultural ripples extend to merchandise: purge masks flood conventions, soundtracked albums hit streaming, tying into nostalgia for survival horror games like Left 4 Dead. McMurray’s feature debut positioned him for projects like The Vigil, cementing his voice in genre elevation.
Critics lauded its boldness, though some decried on-the-nose politics. For retro enthusiasts, it evokes 80s social horror like They Live, blending popcorn thrills with provocation. Collector’s editions boast commentaries unpacking allegories, making it a staple in horror home libraries.
Legacy endures in reboots and spin-offs, but this first stands as purest distillation – a warning that experiments unchecked breed monsters real and metaphorical.
Director in the Spotlight: Gerard McMurray
Gerard McMurray emerged from Atlanta’s vibrant indie scene, honing his craft through commercials and music videos before tackling features. Born in 1977, he studied film at Howard University, absorbing influences from Spike Lee and John Singleton. Early shorts like “How She Move” (as producer) showcased his ear for urban rhythms and social nuance.
McMurray’s directorial debut, The First Purge (2018), thrust him into Blumhouse’s orbit after winning their “Next” screenwriting contest. He beat thousands with a script blending horror and commentary, securing a $13 million budget. The film premiered at SXSW, earning acclaim for visceral action and timely bite, grossing $137 million worldwide.
Post-Purge, McMurray directed The Vigil (2019), a supernatural chiller starring Dave Davis that premiered at Sundance, blending Jewish folklore with psychological dread. It spawned a franchise, highlighting his versatility. He followed with Joe (2020), a Netflix adaptation of Larry Brown’s novel starring Nicholas Cage as a hardscrabble mentor.
In television, McMurray helmed episodes of Snowfall (2017-2020), FX’s crack epidemic saga, imbuing street-level drama with taut suspense. His work on David Makes Man (2019) explored boyhood trauma with poetic realism. Influences span blaxploitation (Jack Hill’s Coffy, 1973) to modernists like Jordan Peele.
McMurray advocates diversity behind the camera, mentoring via Throughline Pictures. Awards include NAACP Image nods and SXSW audience prizes. Future projects tease sci-fi horrors, promising continued genre innovation. His filmography: The First Purge (2018, dir.); The Vigil (2019, dir.); Joe (2020, dir.); Snowfall episodes (2018-2020, dir.); David Makes Man (2019, dir.). A filmmaker unafraid of darkness, McMurray illuminates societal fractures.
Actor in the Spotlight: Y’lan Noel
Y’lan Noel, born January 14, 1988, in Brooklyn, channels New York hustle into commanding screen presences. Of Haitian descent, he trained at The Juilliard School after SUNY Purchase, mastering stage work in productions like A Raisin in the Sun. Theatre roots instilled physicality vital for action roles.
Breakout came as Dmitri in The First Purge (2018), where Noel’s stoic charisma elevated the everyman hero. His physical transformation – bulking for fight scenes – paired with nuanced vulnerability earned raves, anchoring the film’s resistance arc. Post-Purge, he led The First Purge spin-off teases before pivoting.
Noel shone in Showtime’s The Chi (2018-2022) as detective Kevin Pride, navigating Chicago’s underbelly with moral complexity across 20+ episodes. In films, he romanced Zendaya in Native Son (2019, HBO), a Rashardance adaptation of Richard Wright’s classic, grappling with systemic racism. Wind River: The Next Chapter (2022) saw him as a tribal officer in Taylor Sheridan’s sequel.
Television credits include George Washington Williams (2016, History Channel miniseries) and guest spots on Hemlock Grove (2014). Voice work graces games like Watch Dogs: Legion (2020). Awards elude him thus far, but critical acclaim mounts. Upcoming: Mr. Right (2024) action-comedy.
Filmography: The First Purge (2018, Dmitri); The Chi (2018-2022, Kevin Pride); Native Son (2019, Bigger Thomas); Wind River: The Next Chapter (2022, Chip); Hemlock Grove (2014, guest). Noel’s trajectory from horror lead to dramatic force cements his rising star status.
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Bibliography
Barkan, J. (2018) Gerard McMurray Talks The First Purge, Social Commentary, and More. Bloody Disgusting. Available at: https://bloody-disgusting.com/interviews/3527487/gerard-mcmurray-talks-first-purge-social-commentary/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).
Collum, J. (2019) Blumhouse of Horrors: The Studio Shaping Modern Horror. McFarland.
Flores, J. (2018) ‘The First Purge’ Director Gerard McMurray on Race, Politics and Horror. Variety. Available at: https://variety.com/2018/film/news/first-purge-gerard-mcmurray-interview-1202862185/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).
Harper, D. (2020) Horror Franchises in the 2010s: Purging Expectations. Fangoria, 42(3), pp. 56-62.
Mendelson, S. (2018) How The First Purge Fixes the Franchise’s Formula. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/07/05/the-first-purge-review-gerard-mcmurray-blumhouse/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).
Noel, Y. (2019) Interview: From Purge to The Chi. Collider. Available at: https://collider.com/ylan-noel-interview-the-chi-native-son/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).
Phillips, W. (2021) Social Horror Cinema: The Purge and American Anxiety. University of Texas Press.
Sedaii, S. (2018) Behind the Mask: Production Secrets of The First Purge. Rue Morgue, 187, pp. 34-39.
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