The 4th instalment of ‘The Purge’ franchise has hit cinemas. It’s a film with a great concept, although it doesn’t always execute it in a successful way.

This has been a problem I’ve found with the films as they have progressed from the first instalment to the Frank Grillo double act. However, the films always offer the generic features of modern horror films and ‘The First Purge’ certainly sticks with this.

The main issue with ‘The First Purge’ was the VFX. The film had the same basic story of the previous two releases; someone gets stuck out in the Purge whilst a strong, yet misunderstood anti-hero fights the government’s secret plan. A film like this doesn’t need a plot change because it draws in viewers due to the simple concept of a ‘Purge’. However, the VFX in this film, one scene in particular, feels like something from an amateur YouTube parody of a news interview. It completely broke the immersion the film was building up to the point where it was laughable.

Aside from the poor VFX and a weak ending, ‘The First Purge’ has a likeable anti-hero who has strong chemistry with the cast members. Y’lan Noel performs brilliantly in the best action sequence seen in the franchise. The sequence alone made it worth the watch.

Acting: 9 / Enjoyment: 8 / FX: 4 / Plot: 6 / Script: 5 / Sound: 6

Overall: 6.3

By Archie Henry