The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 3, 2019

It's difficult to label The Purge franchise as part of the "Horror" genre, but a case can be made for that classification given the series' proclivity towards masked murderers, mayhem, and morbidity. It began with a dark and somewhat serious home invasion-style film against a backdrop of a radically transformed America where citizens are granted one night per year to run wild, to kill or be killed, with no repercussions. The series has since flourished but failed to accomplish much, favoring frivolous fodder that isn't wholly unconcerned with building lore (see the latest film in the series) but that definitely has its sights set on carnage rather than unpacking the much meatier and frankly more interesting social and political ins-and-outs that led to, and have come to define acceptance of and participation in, the annual Purge. If one does, then, want to categorize the series as "Horror," then it can join the ranks of other prodigious Horror franchises to make the jump to the small screen, along with the likes of Friday the 13th and Ash vs. Evil Dead. USA's The Purge: Season One attempts to fix some of the series' problems with a longer format exploration of a single Purge night from various social, political, and personal perspectives, and it does so to modest-to-good success.

Official synopsis: During a 12-hour period when all crime -- including murder -- is legal, a group of seemingly unrelated characters cross paths in a city in an altered America. While the clock winds down, some will fight, some will hide, others will embrace what it means to Purge to its fullest extent -- whether for revenge, personal gain, protection, or unadulterated glee. As each character is forced to reckon with their past and plot how to better their futures, they soon discover how far they will go on Purge night.

The Purge follows a collection of characters across one night but does not allow the small timeframe window to keep characters and story stagnant. Each main, and several secondaries, evolve in some way throughout the night, expectedly at times and unexpectedly at others, as their true motivations are revealed or as circumstances alter their perception of themselves, others, or the violent world around them. The show is carefully written and takes advantage of the longer format to better find the intimacy and detail that is sorely lacking in the films, which are more content to celebrate violence rather than construct a more thoughtful, or at least engaging, multi-character backdrop. The show intermixes bursts of Purge Night violence with adequately written and executed narrative drama, and the 10-episode length feels just right to keep the pace quick in that juxtaposition of raw violence and careful character development. While the show doesn't rise to the higher levels of intricate drama and character excellence as many of its peers, it's a capably engaging show that builds on a well-defined foundation and offers enough dramatic and violent twists and turns to keep the viewers engaged and interested in how each story will develop and resolve in a relatively compact 12-hour overnight window.

The following episodes comprised season one. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• What Is America?: Once a year, any and all crime -- including murder -- is legal in America for a period of 12 hours.
• Take What's Yours: Jane considers the morality of Purge. Miguel searches for Pete the Cop.
• The Urge to Purge: Penelope prepares for her sacrifice. Rick and Jenna weigh the cost of closing their business deal.
• Release the Beast: Jane must leave the office. Lila consoles Jenna. Penelope is thrust into the Carnival of Flesh.
• Rise Up: Catalina warns Jenna. Henry torments Penelope. Jane goes on a ride along with the Matron Saints.

Disc Two:

• The Forgotten: Miguel confronts Henry. Jane learns a dark truth about David Ryker.
• Lovely Dark and Deep: Miguel and Penelope hike the forest. Jane must endure David's party. Rick doubts Lila's intentions.
• The Giving Time Is Here: Lila grapples with rejection. Miguel and Penelope seek the safety of the Cantina.
• I Will Participate: Joe debates the Purge with Jane. Miguel teams up with Pete to rescue Penelope.
• A Nation Reborn: Penelope takes charge. Miguel and Pete grapple with an unexpected enemy.

The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Purge: Season One was digitally shot, which is of course the de facto norm for the majority of modern productions. Universal's 1080p transfer appears faithful to the source, boasting an impressive stability under various lighting conditions and locations, including the warmer colors at a FFA Purge watching party; the cooler, steelier interiors at the company where Jane works; and the dark and gritty nighttime exteriors through various urban locales. Colors hold steady for the duration, which include splatters of blood, formal attire, street level hues, and smart office interior elements. The palette is reliably stable and even across each episode. Black levels, critical to the show's many nighttime exteriors, hold impressively deep and accurate. Flesh tones offer no problems of note under the various location lighting. The image is texturally crisp and refined, a little flat under the digital source parameters but finding highly impressive high yield facial textures in close-up, sharp environmental touches across the board, and handsome clothing lines across a diverse collection of costumes, including business wear, formal attire, and grungy street clothes. Clarity extends through the entire frame with no soft or smudgy corners to be found. The image does occasionally struggle with banding. Noise is in evidence but held impressively in check, even in dark scenes. This is a very nice release from Universal.

The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Purge: Season One's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is in good working order, handling the show's various sonic needs, from music to gunfire, from Purge Night ambience to dialogue, with positive clarity and good command of the entire home theater soundstage. Gunfire pops with good, albeit fairly basic, authority and stage placement, emanating from various locales around the listener. While shots do not ring out with real-life depth and volume, there's enough power and attention paid to placement to help mask any sound design deficiencies. Additional sounds of fright immerse the listener with impressive stage command and detail, including the siren bellowing the arrival of Purge Night, but perhaps nowhere better highlighted than when Miguel is forced too run The Gauntlet in episode two, a sequence featuring swinging axes, swooping characters on ropes, crashes, clanks, buzzing saws, and capped off by a nice deep end rumble courtesy of a sports car engine. Background gunfire pops here and there throughout Purge Night, along with various screams and other terrible sounds which help to chillingly define the night. Background party din filters about the stage with impressive detail and draws the listener into the FFA Purge party that is a prominent location seen throughout the season. Musical delivery is good, with impressive fidelity and front-stage width. In this instance, surrounds are used in light support, mostly. Dialogue delivery is fine, presenting with lifelike clarity and grounded front-center positioning.

The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Purge: Season One contains extras on both Blu-ray discs. No DVD or digital copies are included. The release ships with an embossed slipcover.

Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Includes scenes from Take What's Yours (1:28).

Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Includes scenes from The Giving Time Is Here (1:57) and I Will Participate (0:47).
• A Conversation with Cast & Crew (1080i, 2:49): A discussion of how the franchise "reflect(s) our everyday humanity." It touches on the history of "purges" in real history, the social and political ramifications of The Purge, how the series reflects modern society, the question of whether society is capable of actually doing what is portrayed in the show, and the quality of the assembled cast.
• Anatomy of a Scene (1080i, 3:17): Making a scene involving "The Gauntlet."
• Costumes & Props (1080i, 3:31): A quick run-through of some of the props from the show, such as guns, night vision goggles, tactical gear, and more. The piece also looks at some of the key costumes seen in the show.
• Table Read (1080i, 2:18): Rather than an entire read through an episode, this is instead a highlight reel that juxtaposes a reading with the corresponding clips from the show.

The Purge: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Purge actually works better as a long-format narrative than it does a quick and dirty 90-minute adventure. This TV series has more fully defined and complex characters on tap, focusing on their stories and how their lives have led them to their various interactions with and responses to Purge Night. Compelling it is not, but agreeably engaging and well paced it is. The series finds a harmonious balance between Purge Night mayhem and well-drawn character drama. It easily bests any of the films. Universal's Blu-ray release of The Purge: Season One may deliver scant extras, but it does deliver perfectly good video and audio presentations. Recommended, and this series is arguably the best place to start any venture into the Purge universe.