Population Purge

Review by Mark Woodring

I’ve said many times how glad I am that the COVID movies seemed to be tapering off, and I am, in fact, glad about that.

That doesn’t mean that virus movies are now passe, though.

**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**

Population Purge - Review
Population Purge (Gravitas)

85 Minutes, Not Rated
Written by Brian Johnson and Toby Osborne
Directed by Brian Johnson

Synopsis:

A government program poisons millions. An immune grandfather-granddaughter duo survive, hunted by ruthless scalpers and an official determined to save his son, leading to a fight for survival amidst the chaos.

 

At least in Population Purge, we can go straight to blaming the government for the virus (although some folks would happily explain why that isn’t much different from COVID) instead of some “natural” evolutionary death-trap.

I like the basic premise here, in that the government (you can decide which kind) needs to reduce the population quickfastandinahurry, and so release a virus that only spares those with blood type AB Positive.

Everyone else? Death. Slow, agonizing death.

Unless they receive transfusion of AB+ blood regularly, which, naturally, leads to a thriving black market of blood dealers who pay (or enslave) surviving AB+ folks and farm them for blood.

Good stuff.

Regardless, in this new world, governments still exist, and the local officials who rule govern the survivors (and those still trying to survive) enforce the laws against the blood market.

Until the son of one of those officials is struck by the virus. Then, as predictable, it becomes a matter of “but what about me/mine?”

There’s a twist at the end of the film concerning the nature of the Purge as well as the overall storytelling, but it’s not very well done or convincing, but it doesn’t detract from the general accuracy of the rest of the film.

Addressing topics such as group panic, governmental over-reach, corruption, survival and how to achieve it, and the demonstration of the tipping point of a society when pushed too far, Population Purge does an admirable job.

Yes, it’s low budget. Yes, it’s a bit too… tidy… at times, narratively speaking, but it’s a worthy enough entry in the post-apocalyptic genre as to be enjoyable by fans.

Check it out.

Population Purge is available to stream starting July 9 and stars S. Lamar Wilson, Peter Holland, Lyndsey Soto, Rebecca DeRienzo, Ameerah Briggs, Eric Gravez, Michael Mercaldi, Gregory French, and D.B. Lambert.

And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.

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