Current Events > The First Purge was terrible simply turrible

(+) Yeah! (+)

(Only minor spoilers in OP, probably more spoilers to come as topic continues. This is the warning)

The Purge movies have been getting consistently better, with Election Year being a genuinely fun action movie. I was really hyped going into The First Purge, and very disappointed to find out it was a boring, by the numbers "action horror" with no teeth.
The characters are unlikable, the script was garbage, and the lack of resolution (despite it being a prequel) was jarring.

A few of the action scenes were well done and The Purge movies typically have some neat imagery which was on brief display, but a lot of it was marred by bad lighting and awkward camera transitions. I'm genuinely surprised DeMonaco wrote it considering his messages used to be more subtle, but not so surprised he passed on directing it considering the political spectrum.
I don't think McMurray was ready to take on a movie with this many moving parts, however.

Y'lan Noel did a great job with what he was given for his part, and while Dmitri is not a likable or redeemable character, he's at least fun to watch. I wish I could say the same about the rest of the principal cast, however. Lex Scott Davis especially was completely phoning it in, and couldn't even get her accent right half the time.

Anyway I wouldn't say it's anywhere close to the worst movie I've ever seen, but it was a shit tier film and I wouldn't rush out to catch it. The theater experience adds nothing to this one.
---

The Purge movies aren't great but they are entertaining.

I was entertained by the First Purge.