Review of The First Purge (2018) by Shpostal — 16 Jul 2018

I didn't see the other "Purge" movies, and thought on bargain day I might as well to see what the buzz has been about. Well, I can't say anything about the others in the series, but this movie is nothing but a thinly veiled ultra racist diatribe as the first Purge takes place in the poorest parts of Staten Island, NY.

It makes no bones that African Americans and a few Hispanics for racial diversity's sake, I suppose will be the targets of a horrific 12 hour rampage of genocidal race motivated insanity. I for one am no racist - I hate those types with a passion, just like millions upon millions of good people of all ethnicities and races do.

We want harmony. We want fairness in our economic and societal structures, and all the good things that come with those who have the brains and capacity to reserve judgment on our fellow humans as individuals and their actions, not race, religion, sex preference, etc.

"The First Purge" either overlooks or pointedly refuses to acknowledge that fact. The dichotomy here is so divided it's insulting. As if the idea of the first purge isn't bad enough, the film depicts a stark line between victims and the "purgers", which, after a few inner murders of blacks on blacks, becomes a disgusting white ultra KKK fueled attempt at legal ethnic homicidal cleansing with no legal repercussions.

In this film, all whites are evil killers. Even while the African Americans depicted are sometimes vicious drug dealers and users, they end up the heroes who successfully last the 12 hours to fight another day.

If that isn't enough, the short we see here while looking at the movie online shows a blatantly Donald Trump style "Make America Great Again" hat. When will people understand that this kind of extremist stereotyping is a horrible idea for a movie? It is not fair to anybody who deplores the Trump lovers out there as much as their intended victims of their hate and hostilities.

Had the writers at least acknowledged that the majority of Americans regardless again of race, religion, etc. detest the far right's message and behavior of its massively hate filled morons, it might have made the message a bit less divided.

Instead it capitalizes on the extremes of society, presents them as the majority, and serves only to galvanize the polarities that are already pulling this country apart. Of course we who are not racist redneck imbeciles parading around in pointy hoods root for the minority community so viciously murdered in this bloodbath.

Others though are demented enough to think such an event would be great fun, and minorities would have some people too who would react negatively enough that they would not attempt to understand that the overwhelming majority of whites are on their side.

It's just the extremists who fall into this category, but they're out there, and in the face of mass murders in real life going on in epidemic numbers across the country, this idea is mind poison. While some of the action is suspenseful and the fear that accompanies the purge is well represented, it's only that element that deserves the "1" rating.

I do not appreciate the implied assertion I am some hayseed illiterate racist hatemonger just because I am white. And good hearted minorities do not appreciate the implication that no white people are ever to be trusted as friends, work associates or any other normal human relationship.

It's a terrible plot, and even more sinister concept.