The Purge film series kicked off in 2013, and while the last movie, 2016's The Purge: Election Year, put a cap on this annual event (for now), the next movie, The First Purge, will wind the clock back and show the first time that citizens of the United States were able to commit any crime they wanted for one night without any legal consequences. With only three months left to go until the prequel drops, The First Purge has finally dropped its first trailer, and like its predecessors, this movie doesn't look like it will be lacking in frights.
The First Purge gives us a look at how the annual event of murder and mayhem got started. We see Marisa Tomei playing the role of the woman behind the concept. The trailer follows a group of civilians as they try to survive the first event. Unlike the other films that we've seen, the characters here have really no idea what to expect, and things seem, at first, like they might be ok, people are throwing parties because apparently, they realized that nobody can make a noise complaint. Of course, eventually, everything goes bad.
From the outset, the trailer suggests the idea that the Purge is actually a political tool, rather than one designed to allow people to simply release aggression. What's most interesting is that the character being played by Marisa Tomei seems to legitimately believe that, as she seems quite upset when she learns that soldiers are being sent in to cause violence in order to be sure that the Purge "works." While she may have truly believed in the Purge for its psychological benefits, others have realized it can be used to other ends.
Originally, The Purge was a fairly simple horror movie, which followed a single family as they attempted to survive the night. From there, however, the franchise became a bit more action oriented and a bit more "big picture" as it began to examine the concept through the lens of society as a whole. The First Purge looks to certainly have the action that the latter films are known for, but it also has the tension and violence of a horror movie.
The Purge franchise has grown into a solid brand over the years. While the films have never set box office records, their relative inexpensiveness makes them nearly guaranteed to be profitable at the box office. This one certainly looks like it's likely to bring fans back to the theater. In addition to the first trailer, The First Purge also released a brand new poster.
The First Purge hits theaters on July 4, and if you want to see what else is being released later this year, check out our 2018 release schedule.
