PURGE is a dreadful cyberpunk indie from Australia. It's a near plot less affair made by an experimental group so the emphasis is less on linear narrative storytelling and more on arty visuals and airy nonsense. Style over substance, in other words, and wait until you see the slow motion effects. It's a very poor showing all round, and quite laughably inept.
8 Reviews
Interesting no budget sci-fi
kingstrauss5527 January 2015
Seems a lot of IMDb voters don't like this film. I suspect they were seeking conventional sci-fi with action, CGI and possibly stars. A lot of people can't imagine sci-fi being anything else.
This film has none of that but some very interesting ideas about genetic engineering and programming for roles in life. It's a film that suggests if we don't care about each other, if we lose sight of what it means to be human, to love someone, we will doom ourselves as a species.
But it also has hope. It suggests that no matter what kind of control various governments or other control systems seek to impose on people, humanity will eventually reassert itself.
Some of the things I enjoyed about it were: a compelling and unusual story that asks the viewer to think and refuses to take the usual sci fi route of a hero triumphing over adversity (it's more complex than that); an original style which made liberal use of mock news reports, community service announcements, commercials and current affairs interviews as well as things like text and titles, rapid cutting and images within images. In short, a film which is not afraid to take risks.
I also noticed that some of King's mise-en-scene echoes those of several all-time great films - A Clockwork Orange, North By North West, and THX1138 come to mind.
I enjoyed it but as another reviewer says, it's not for everyone. If you like passive entertainment with predictable stories and lots of whizz-bang and bang bang, you probably won't enjoy Purge. But I see that people who like that sort of thing have also liked Purge so it's really up to the individual.
It's a pity those IMDb voters who didn't like it can't find the words to say why.
This film has none of that but some very interesting ideas about genetic engineering and programming for roles in life. It's a film that suggests if we don't care about each other, if we lose sight of what it means to be human, to love someone, we will doom ourselves as a species.
But it also has hope. It suggests that no matter what kind of control various governments or other control systems seek to impose on people, humanity will eventually reassert itself.
Some of the things I enjoyed about it were: a compelling and unusual story that asks the viewer to think and refuses to take the usual sci fi route of a hero triumphing over adversity (it's more complex than that); an original style which made liberal use of mock news reports, community service announcements, commercials and current affairs interviews as well as things like text and titles, rapid cutting and images within images. In short, a film which is not afraid to take risks.
I also noticed that some of King's mise-en-scene echoes those of several all-time great films - A Clockwork Orange, North By North West, and THX1138 come to mind.
I enjoyed it but as another reviewer says, it's not for everyone. If you like passive entertainment with predictable stories and lots of whizz-bang and bang bang, you probably won't enjoy Purge. But I see that people who like that sort of thing have also liked Purge so it's really up to the individual.
It's a pity those IMDb voters who didn't like it can't find the words to say why.
An Interesting and Unusual Film
andreaparke6114 July 2014
As an ultra-low budget quasi-sci fi experimental narrative, Purge is most definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
But for me and for people I know, it's an interesting and unusual film made by a filmmaker who approaches film as an art form rather than as simple entertainment.
I won't go into the story here as other reviews have covered that. I'll just say that King is not afraid to use techniques that directly contravene the idea of sucking an audience into a story and pulling them along for the ride.
He even uses titles and text to deliberately jolt the audience out of passive viewing mode just as Jean-Luc Godard did with his political films in the 1970's.
This is one of the many things that makes Purge an interesting film to the people who like it – a profound knowledge of cinema and sense of daring to go beyond the conventional entertainment experience.
It's interesting that Lloyd Kaufamn himself liked Purge and personally picked it up for distribution.
Purge was made for less money than many Hollywood films would spend on makeup alone. But that didn't bother King – it drove him to seek new and different ways of doing things and thus create a film unlike any other.
As Mr Kaufman himself said – a true original....where most films today aren't.
Purge, I believe, is pitched at people who see film as an art form rather than as mere entertainment.
I hope this helps people to decide whether or not it is the kind of film they would like to see – for those who have voted it down haven't helped anyone understand anything at all about the film.
But for me and for people I know, it's an interesting and unusual film made by a filmmaker who approaches film as an art form rather than as simple entertainment.
I won't go into the story here as other reviews have covered that. I'll just say that King is not afraid to use techniques that directly contravene the idea of sucking an audience into a story and pulling them along for the ride.
He even uses titles and text to deliberately jolt the audience out of passive viewing mode just as Jean-Luc Godard did with his political films in the 1970's.
This is one of the many things that makes Purge an interesting film to the people who like it – a profound knowledge of cinema and sense of daring to go beyond the conventional entertainment experience.
It's interesting that Lloyd Kaufamn himself liked Purge and personally picked it up for distribution.
Purge was made for less money than many Hollywood films would spend on makeup alone. But that didn't bother King – it drove him to seek new and different ways of doing things and thus create a film unlike any other.
As Mr Kaufman himself said – a true original....where most films today aren't.
Purge, I believe, is pitched at people who see film as an art form rather than as mere entertainment.
I hope this helps people to decide whether or not it is the kind of film they would like to see – for those who have voted it down haven't helped anyone understand anything at all about the film.
Out of box
vivekrathia7714 May 2021
Unique, stylish, unusual and intriguing cyberpunk drama and thriller!
The_horrifying_Dutchman3 March 2013
PURGE, an Australian sci-fi film directed by David King and distributed by Troma Entertainment, is one of those rare productions that is truly só unusual in its story and visual flair that it's virtually impossible to compare it to any film. At best, one can see slight parallels here and there with films such as Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, George Lucas' debut THX1138 and Andrew Niccol's Gattaca. But that's it, for PURGE has it's own, unique quality.
Made with a minimum of means, but a maximum of talent and resourcefulness, PURGE is set in a parallel universe where people are artificially created by genetic engineering companies and programmed for certain roles in life. To fail to assume the role you've been bred for is to become what is called a Stray and be treated worse than a criminal. These outcasts are therefore condemned to lead an underground life.The androgynous leader of a group of Strays, Peta (Meda Royall), wants to make an end to all the suppression by deprogramming people who've been altered by the state.
Intercut with visually arresting mock commercials, news reports and current affairs interviews, the fragmented story tells of the trials and tribulations of a young woman, Layla (Sarah Breen). She is unable to assume her preordained role as BDSM mistress-slave and forced to join Peta's organization. But Layla is a harder nut to crack than Peta had ever thought, resulting in several tense moments and – stunningly choreographed – fights between the two. This all culminates in a mesmerizing and incontestably surprising finale that you absolutely could not have seen coming.
What is also admirable is the fact that in spite of a profound hearing impairment, King not only wrote, produced and directed the film, but also served as production designer, sound designer and editor, did additional cinematography and even created some of the visual effects. And all this has been done in a way that enhances the bizarre, out of this world and sometimes genuinely unsettling look of this film. Yes, King is without a shadow of a doubt a multi-talent to look out for!
A unique, stylish, unusual and intriguing cyberpunk drama and thriller, as well as a cult classic in the making – that's in brief what PURGE is. I can highly recommend it to anyone who'd like to step into a completely different world!
Made with a minimum of means, but a maximum of talent and resourcefulness, PURGE is set in a parallel universe where people are artificially created by genetic engineering companies and programmed for certain roles in life. To fail to assume the role you've been bred for is to become what is called a Stray and be treated worse than a criminal. These outcasts are therefore condemned to lead an underground life.The androgynous leader of a group of Strays, Peta (Meda Royall), wants to make an end to all the suppression by deprogramming people who've been altered by the state.
Intercut with visually arresting mock commercials, news reports and current affairs interviews, the fragmented story tells of the trials and tribulations of a young woman, Layla (Sarah Breen). She is unable to assume her preordained role as BDSM mistress-slave and forced to join Peta's organization. But Layla is a harder nut to crack than Peta had ever thought, resulting in several tense moments and – stunningly choreographed – fights between the two. This all culminates in a mesmerizing and incontestably surprising finale that you absolutely could not have seen coming.
What is also admirable is the fact that in spite of a profound hearing impairment, King not only wrote, produced and directed the film, but also served as production designer, sound designer and editor, did additional cinematography and even created some of the visual effects. And all this has been done in a way that enhances the bizarre, out of this world and sometimes genuinely unsettling look of this film. Yes, King is without a shadow of a doubt a multi-talent to look out for!
A unique, stylish, unusual and intriguing cyberpunk drama and thriller, as well as a cult classic in the making – that's in brief what PURGE is. I can highly recommend it to anyone who'd like to step into a completely different world!
A rare treat: a unique dystopian science fiction film
Love_Like_Blood_19923 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Some people just like it
davidkingmedia8 August 2020
Nobody here or in the External Critic Reviews is a friend or family member of the director. They are people the director doesn't even know and wouldn't know if they walked in the door. They are people who simply liked a film which was different.
Dreadful. Absolute dreadful.
gooshy-6874720 January 2020
It certainly has to say right of the bat that the handful of reviewers praising this movie (and even giving it a high rating, which it certainly doesn't deserve) are friends and family of the Director. Nothing against their deception order to help a friend, but blind loyalty and praise isn't doing him or the film any favours. Purge is about as exciting as drying paint watching grass grow. Uneventfully bad. And no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The fact that the Director has done next to nothing since proves my point. He gave it a go (alright, I'll give him respect for that), it backfired horrendously, he brought forward a wretched abortion onto the world, then fizzled away like a fart in the wind (leaving behind the foul stench that is his film).
You check the movies rating here, what you'll see aren't lies, fake news, trolls or whatever (insert conspiracy theory here), it's legitimate votes of 1 that are even far too good for such a terrible film to receive. Let's just hope nothing more will ever come about from this film.
You check the movies rating here, what you'll see aren't lies, fake news, trolls or whatever (insert conspiracy theory here), it's legitimate votes of 1 that are even far too good for such a terrible film to receive. Let's just hope nothing more will ever come about from this film.
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