The newest entry in "The Purge" franchise has arrived. If you're wondering what exactly
happens during the frightening events of The Forever Purge, we're here to explain the film's
ending.
So, let's discuss what actually happens at the end of "The Forever Purge" before getting
into the nitty-gritty details of what it all means. In the film's climactic battle, tribal
leader Chiago leads our rag-tag group of heroes across the Mexican border as the Ever After
Purgers follow close behind. Backed into a corner, the good guys have no choice but to
stop running and fight back.
During the massive shootout that ensues, Chiago rushes Cassie and the other survivors across
as Juan, Adela, and Dylan try their best to hold off the onslaught. Minutes later, Purger
leader Dalton corners Adela and Dylan, and seems to have the upper hand. When it's nearly
too late, Juan uses his lasso in a final moment of bravery to save his wife before putting
Dalton down with a bullet through his skull.
The remaining heroes then make it across the border uninjured, and they're even greeted
with the news that Cassie's labor was a success, and that she and Dylan have a new baby. It's
a minor miracle that almost all the main characters of "The Forever Purge" are alive at the end
with something to celebrate. But for the rest of America, we see that the future may not
be so bright.
The final shot zooms out to show the United States of America on fire. Radio chatter plays
that implies a conflict, saying that people are beginning to fight back against their
aggressors. It's unclear how much time has passed between the beginning of the Forever
Purge and this broadcast, but it can be assumed at least some passage of time has occurred.
The future of the U.S. is left ambiguous, but the extremists who organized this great
Purge are still out there and still killing and destroying. The state of the nation is
one of civil war — an inevitable end result of the government social experiment that began
the annual Purge.
By the time we're introduced to all the protagonists of "The Forever Purge," the plot sets off
in the direction of the border. Juan and Adela's current home is in Texas already, so Mexico
isn't very far away. But by the time they reach the border, it's heavily guarded, and
our heroes must face off against the militarized Purgers in a climactic battle to fight their
way into Mexico. But if safe passage is no longer viable, why go?
"Mexico is opening its borders for the next six hours."
This has a lot to do with the characters and their deep-rooted motivations. Juan and Adela
want to return to their homeland across the border. Driven by the fear of being in a violent
warring country that hates them, they see no choice anymore. Dylan, too, is backed into
a corner. With a pregnant wife about to go into labor, he decides to step up and be a
leader, despite having no love for Mexico or its people. Still, it's important for them
to cross for the ending to work.
That's because the final overt political message of "The Forever Purge" is a call for empathy.
The crossing of Americans into Mexico is a symbol of this theme, and the ending suggests
both Canada and Mexico provided enough aid to American refugees for them to begin to
recapture their fallen country.
While it was originally announced to be the final "Purge" movie, "The Forever Purge" might
not actually be the grand finale of the series. After all, the ending definitely leaves room
for more interesting stories to be told. It seems like series creator and screenwriter
for all the films, James DeMonaco, is actually working on the idea for the next "Purge" movie,
even if the story is only in early stages. DeMonaco said in an IGN interview,
"If you asked me this four months ago, I probably would have said it was the end. And then I
woke up, for better or worse, with a new idea three-and-a-half months ago, and I pitched
it to everyone, and I think it's another way to flip it [...] If the audience wants it,
we'll be ready to give it. But they have to tell us they want it before we go ahead."
And honestly, it makes a lot of sense to keep the story going. While critics are divided
on the film, "The Forever Purge," like its predecessors, made quite a bit of cash, especially
considering the series' relatively low budgets. Plus, when you have a series that's as political
as this one, you can use it to comment on all sorts of social issues, which means the
"Purge" movies could keep the terror going for quite some time.
The "Purge" movie franchise has never broken from its internal continuity. After ending
the fifth film on a radio message detailing Americans fighting back, this civil war type
story could be DeMonaco's idea for the next film. That certainly makes more sense than
if he were to make a spinoff or break from the established continuity of the previous
movies. But you never know — a time skip can be a useful tool in making stale franchises
feel fresh again.
Of course, the concept of "The Purge" is so malleable that it would be wonderful to see
the series in the hands of someone other than DeMonaco. The creator has remained extremely
hands-on with every property, even after giving up directorial duties following "Election
Year." It's still a novel conceit, and it would be great to see the property in the
hands of other creators in the form of new movies or on TV.
Still, even if DeMonaco continues to guide the series, it means the future is full of
fantastic — and frightening — possibilities.
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