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Parents' Guide to

The Forever Purge

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Fifth "Purge" has missed opportunities, gory carnage.

Movie R 2021 103 minutes
The Forever Purge Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Ben D.
Ben D. Parent of 10 and 12-year-old
September 23, 2023
age 2+

It is amazing and super educational

They covered all topics of school like for reading, you can read some abandoned store signs and for math you can do a kill count! Very educational and a hilarious movie!
Kennyjen
Kennyjen Adult
July 11, 2021
age 17+

It's an ok movie

The movie itself is an ok horror film. There's a lot of gore,violence and a scene of attempted rape. There's also some use a racist dialogue and a lot of cursing and swearing along with other derogatory terms. Watch at your own discretion and I wouldn't allow a kid under 17 to watch it personally.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE FOREVER PURGE, after an uptick in racial unrest, the U.S. government reinstates "the purge," an annual 12-hour period in which all crimes and violent acts are legal. Wealthy rancher Dylan Tucker (Josh Lucas); his pregnant wife, Cassie (Cassidy Freeman); his tough sister, Harper (Leven Rambin); and Dylan and Harper's father, Caleb (Will Patton) ride out the purge in their well-protected ranch. Their immigrant ranch hand, Juan (Tenoch Huerta), and his wife, Adela (Ana de la Reguera), spend the night in a shelter. But in the morning, when the purge is supposed to be over, they all discover that the purgers are raging on: They're now a hate-based, White supremacist organization bent on "cleansing" the United States of anyone they believe doesn't belong. The Harpers and Juan and Adela must put aside their own prejudices and work together to survive long enough to get to Mexico, where they should be safe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (11 ):

Like the previous four movies in this series, this one touches somewhat upon timely modern-day issues, but the routine, unimaginative storytelling sabotages any attempt at satire or significance. The Forever Purge taps into the horrifying White supremacist movement, especially the simmering hatred and prejudice toward immigrants. But aside from establishing the ironic idea of Mexico becoming a haven for escaping American "Dreamers," the movie does little to comment upon or satirize its relevant themes. (At least the movie roots for the Dreamers.)

Otherwise, The Forever Purge offers the usual uninspired collection of jump-scares and bloody killings, played mainly for cheap shocks and thrills, with no real consequences. Director Everardo Gout includes a few interesting, tricky, long-take shots, and he decorates the movie with eerily beautiful graffiti and composed carnage. But his attempts to tie in the events of the ranchers' story with a bigger picture of the United States as a whole tend to fall flat. The only thing this movie, and the series in general, really seems to be saying is that the United States is an inherently violent place, with little anyone can do about it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Forever Purge's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show/not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • What do you think of the idea of the purge? Could it really lower crime and lessen poverty? What are the arguments for and against it?

  • How does the movie view it's White characters and Latinx characters? Do you consider any of the characters role models? Why, or why not?

  • Is the movie scary? Is the scary stuff supernatural or based on real life? What's the appeal of horror movies?

Movie Details

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