‘The Forever Purge’: The Meaning Behind the Bunny Purger Costumes
The Purge started as a low-budget horror movie set in a claustrophobic setting. It has inspired multiple installments and a television series, which have expanded upon the universe’s mythos. The Forever Purge is supposedly the final film of the franchise, but there has been some talk about making another sequel. Each entry has its own theme that inspires the costumes that purgers wear to go killing.
‘The Forever Purge’ underlining theme
The Purge franchise highlights the purgers’ costumes in the marketing materials. They tend to focus on an aesthetic that defines the individual installment.
Bloody Disgusting shared a featurette for The Forever Purge. Costume designer Leah Butler talked about the film’s underlining theme. “We wanted to pump up the volume and really create this ‘what the heck’ kind of look,” Butler said. “We have this kind of underline thematic of animals and lives. Adela works in this factory, so there’s this element of cutting animals.”
The animal theme is visible over the course of the movie. Many of the purgers seen in the background are included in this animal theme. The Forever Purge shows the animalistic side of humanity, where society’s laws are no longer in play.
The visual concept behind the bunnies
The Forever Purge introduces the concept that the purgers refuse to allow their annual holiday to come to an end. They believe that every day should be the Purge. Adela goes to work the day after the Purge. She thinks that she’s safe to go about her business, but she soon discovers that she will need to fight for her life against these savage purgers.
The trailers emphasized two bunnies emerging from a dumpster to attack Adela. Butler explained the aesthetic behind the two dangerous characters. “My assistant costume designer had this butcher’s apron that’s metal, and they don’t use them anymore,” she said. “Apparently, some of them would get cut and pieces of metal would fall off. We took that idea and we really expanded on it, working with the person making the masks in this kind of animal thematic.”
The movie doesn’t show the bunnies for long, but their short screen time is capitalized on. They employ a trap that’s reminiscent of a Saw movie. Their hate-fueled campaign is only the beginning of the character’s suffering. As a result, she travels with a small group to fight for survival.
Halloween costumes
The Purge is filled with social commentary that has bled into pop culture. The franchise’s installments vary in quality, as critics often indicate that the social commentary is heavy-handed and overplayed. However, audiences have embraced the series and even created Halloween costumes based on the purgers.
Only time will tell if The Forever Purge shares that big impact when October rolls around. However, Butler seems to believe that the aesthetic has the potential to make that impact. She said, “I can really see the next Halloween after this movie comes out, people dressing like them.”
The Forever Purge will be available on digital on Sept. 14 and to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD on Sept. 28. Stay tuned to discover if the franchise will carry on.
