«American Nightmare 4: Origins»

Cinema Wednesdays - Marina De Toro

Since 2013, James De Monaco has surprised with his saga American Nightmare an annual purge to regulate crime and unemployment in the United States. For one night a year, American citizens are allowed to commit all crimes and express all negativity. Once the twelve hours have passed, crimes committed during the purge are not prosecuted, and life returns to normal. In this fourth film, director Gerard McMurray presents the origins of this murderous tradition, which took place in a town on an isolated island in the USA.

One film too many

The «New Founding Fathers» took charge of the United States and decided to set up an experimental project aimed at lowering the crime rate. The new concept was the brainchild of sociologist May Updale, and her ideas quickly caught on with the new US government. The only problem is that Dr. Updale and the government don't see eye-to-eye on this experiment, which is merely a psycho-social test for the sociologist, whereas the politicians see it as in the country's economic interest.

This clash of ideas is handled very poorly in the film, and everything becomes extremely predictable. No real plot develops because the antagonists—the «New Founding Fathers»—hide nothing from the audience and express their intentions regarding the Purge in a very clumsy manner. This fourth film therefore adds nothing new to the story that has been unfolding since the first American Nightmare.

Messages Addressed to the United States

Even though the concept of The Purge is extreme—even absurd—to the average person, it must still be acknowledged that it is, in fact, a critique of our Western societies, and in particular that of the United States. We can clearly see the persistent divisions between different communities, especially the continued presence of racism against African Americans and Latinos. This sense of a country in turmoil and of growing hostility is a very clear reflection of Trump’s controversial stance since his election in 2017.

Despite the film’s weak screenplay and the actors’ rather poor performances, *The Purge* serves as a warning about a line that must never be crossed. Ultimately, American Nightmare 4 shows just how far human imagination can go beyond morality and that, even though our world has already witnessed many horrors, destructive ideas never run out.

Write to the author : marina.detoro@leregardlibre.ch

Photo credit: © Universal Pictures Int. Switzerland GmbH