When it was first released, Blumhouse horror-thriller The Purge hung on what seemed like an enjoyably ridiculous premise — all crime, including murder, is legal for one night a year so that Americans can ‘purge’ their darkest urges. But the real world has become significantly more dystopian since then, and the franchise is taking full advantage of that.
Universal has released the first poster for the fourth Purge film, and one look tells you everything you need to know. Titled The First Purge, the latest instalment will be a prequel detailing how America got to the point of, well, the first ever Purge. If a red hat on the film’s poster is anything to go by, the passing of the USA’s most unlikely law might have something to do with the mindset of a certain orange White House dweller.
Even more amusingly, the poster and first teaser were revealed at the start of President Trump’s State of the Union address, and the film will be heading out to cinemas on the 4th of July. The trailer gives nothing about the film away, but doubles down on patriotic American imagery — stars and stripes blowing in the breeze, Little League Baseball games, and fireworks over the Statue of Liberty.
It’s not the first time the series has gone outwardly political — 2016’s third entry was The Purge: Election Year, following a politician who wanted to end the murderous practice for good. Get ready to show your support for The First Purge when its UK cinema spree begins on 6 July.
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