Going into "Purge," a 2010 cyberpunk sci-fi flick distributed by Troma Entertainment, I didn't quite know what to expect. Outside of a hot chick on the cover and a prominently-featured positive quote from someone at a Dutch film festival, it looked like another low-budget exploitation film. Of course, they say don't judge a book by its cover, so to avoid doing that, I actually decided to watch it. Thankfully, I enjoyed "Purge" quite a bit, and although it might not be something to recommend to everyone, fans of films such as "Blade Runner," "Dark City," "Johnny Mnemonic" or "The Matrix" are sure to love this one.
The story is hard to explain: it concerns Layla, a BDSM mistress living in a world where all people are artificially created through genetic engineering. People go through their days, repressing any emotion other than happiness--to express any other emotion is seen as a malfunction in genetic programming, and punishment for doing so is severe. To avoid spoiling it for you further, I'll leave it at that, but clearly there's some depth to this one. Through all of the sex and gaudy futuristic imagery, it's a pretty clever premise, and it's matched by an intelligently-written screenplay.
It's not a perfect film--the quality of the acting is inconsistent, and it's clear that this film was done on a low budget. Nonetheless, it was clearly made with care and effort, and that care and effort shows through in the final product, even if it's not the best-looking movie around. The sound is as clear as one might expect from a micro-budget indie, and even though the picture quality is not perfect, it's clear enough so as to not be a real issue. Some of the special effects vary in quality--some work and some don't--but again, there's enough care and effort put in, along with some very clever concepts, that the quality of the effects isn't really much of an issue.
In conclusion: "Purge" is an interesting film. It may not be for everyone, but having grown up with "Blade Runner" and "Johnny Mnemonic," I enjoyed it a lot. It's a fine addition to the dystopian sci-fi genre and a unique film in its own right. If you have an interest in this kind of movie, "Purge" definitely deserves a place in your collection.
The story is hard to explain: it concerns Layla, a BDSM mistress living in a world where all people are artificially created through genetic engineering. People go through their days, repressing any emotion other than happiness--to express any other emotion is seen as a malfunction in genetic programming, and punishment for doing so is severe. To avoid spoiling it for you further, I'll leave it at that, but clearly there's some depth to this one. Through all of the sex and gaudy futuristic imagery, it's a pretty clever premise, and it's matched by an intelligently-written screenplay.
It's not a perfect film--the quality of the acting is inconsistent, and it's clear that this film was done on a low budget. Nonetheless, it was clearly made with care and effort, and that care and effort shows through in the final product, even if it's not the best-looking movie around. The sound is as clear as one might expect from a micro-budget indie, and even though the picture quality is not perfect, it's clear enough so as to not be a real issue. Some of the special effects vary in quality--some work and some don't--but again, there's enough care and effort put in, along with some very clever concepts, that the quality of the effects isn't really much of an issue.
In conclusion: "Purge" is an interesting film. It may not be for everyone, but having grown up with "Blade Runner" and "Johnny Mnemonic," I enjoyed it a lot. It's a fine addition to the dystopian sci-fi genre and a unique film in its own right. If you have an interest in this kind of movie, "Purge" definitely deserves a place in your collection.