Unlike other hits to come from Blumhouse over the past decade, “The Purge” started as a simple, but clever horror franchise and morphed into a political satire that mixes over-the-top violence and imagery with a very serious message. And according to the director of the franchise’s finale, “The Forever Purge,” which arrives later this year, the final film in the ‘Purge’ series is going to wrap up the story and fully explain the satire that some people might have missed in earlier entries.
Speaking to TotalFilm, Everardo Gout talked about “The Forever Purge” and the message of the film. For those unfamiliar with “The Purge,” the franchise takes place in an alternate history version of the US where a group of radical conservative politicians took over the government and kept the lower-class in check by allowing one night per year where all crime is legal. Over the course of the films, the premise has stayed true but the world-building has expanded, revealing the true satirical nature of the features. And “The Forever Purge” is the cherry on top.
“It’s an amazing story of Latinos and Americans coming together to overcome despair and evil,” Gout explained.
The filmmaker also said that he spoke with James DeMonaco, the man who created “The Purge” franchise and has written each film, about the importance of “The Forever Purge” and how the film will “set the record straight” about the overarching themes in the franchise. As we all know, there are folks that see “The Purge” as some sort of horror franchise that glorifies violence and encourages some sort of anarchist state. But that’s not what DeMonaco and Gout are hoping to prove in the finale film.
“‘I want my intentions to be crystal clear on what I think about violence and what’s going on in the world.’ That’s what [DeMonaco] told me,” the filmmaker added. “It’s dystopian, but he’s trying to get us to look in the mirror. It makes you think, ‘Shit, if I get pushed into a corner, would I do the same?’ Once you open that door, how do you close it again?”
As of now, barring any more delays, “The Forever Purge” is set to arrive in theaters on July 9. You can see the new image from the film below.
