Film Preview: The First Purge (2018)

Page Revisions:

(February 4, 2018) Original
(April 15, 2018) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#2)
(July 1, 2018) New Posters (#3-#11)

Release Date:

July 4, 2018

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The film will be a prequel that will focus on the events that lead up to the very first Purge event.”

Poster Rating: B / B+ / C / C (4) / C- (3) / D

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The bountiful blank white space is the issue, but the design, using the iconic “Make America Great Again” red hat with white lettering makes for a stirring political statement, especially for a film that exemplifies the quasi-futuristic American landscape that might just be a direct result of that exact political rhetoric. The July 4 release date, the birth of our nation, seems tailor made for this type of blisteringly political film.

(#2) While not a great batch of colors, the symbolism is unmistakable, a fascinating take on the concepts the Statue of Liberty stands for combined with the principles behind the idea of The Purge.

(#3) The masks are back, as are the dull color schemes, unappealing poses, and the semi-interesting tagline. (#4-#7) This series of “character” posters are a tradition for this franchise, but aren’t and never have been that impressive. (#8-#10) This trio of red-white-and-blue designs are an interesting gimmick, but nothing more. (#11) This is more appropriate as political commentary for today than it is as a poster design.

Trailer Rating: B+ / B

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Review: (#1) The first teaser, employing a type of PSA commercial concept that purports to propose the upcoming Purge is a part of the necessary fabric of the United States has a lot of political ideology. Perhaps not as simplistic as the poster design, but no less fascinating.

(#2) This trailer doesn’t quite have the same inventive energy as the first, nor some of its predecessors, but it’s still an engaging trailer. We’re given almost the entire breadth of the plot to this one in the span of a few minutes, so it may not be as energizing as once thought, but it’s political underpinnings are right on the surface, which makes it nonetheless fascinating.