On an ordinary weekend, Owen and Bill entered the cinema and bought two tickets for "The Purge." They headed to the back row of the not-so-large theatre, where there was more legroom, and sat in the middle.
As people trickled in, Bill munched on popcorn while Owen looked around, feeling a bit bored. As the theatre filled up, he scratched his head in confusion.
"Something's weird today," he muttered.
Bill swallowed a mouthful of popcorn and asked, "What's up?"
Owen nodded toward the front. "There are a lot of black people here."
Bill stopped eating and looked around. "There are fewer white people."
Owen, now more attentive, said, "Usually when we watch movies, it's all white people. What's going on today? Look over there, lots of black people. And over there, I've never seen so many Arabs. Oh, and Asians..."
Bill shrugged and went back to his popcorn. "Who cares? It's not our problem."
Owen nodded, still puzzled, noting that white people usually dominated the theatre, but they barely made up a third today.
The lights dimmed, and the movie began. Owen focused on the film, putting his curiosity aside.
In a regular cinema in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, Michael sat in the back row, waiting for the movie to start.
With limited promotional investment, the film did not premiere. In the final week, Lionsgate bombarded late-night TV slots with ads, which was the biggest promotional effort.
As the producer, Michael bought a ticket and joined the audience to support the box office.
Being a Friday night, the theatre wasn't empty, even though Halloween was still a week away. The holiday's boost to horror films was apparent.
Before the lights dimmed, Michael observed the crowd. At least thirty were filled in a theatre with over a hundred seats.
Among them, just over ten were white, the majority being minorities.
He hoped these minorities enjoyed seeing a white family in trouble.
As the film started, Michael noted that no one left during the first thirty minutes—a good sign. If the audience stayed past this point, they would likely watch till the end, finding some value in the film.
Among the horror films released that weekend, "The Purge" wasn't the most expensive, but it wasn't the cheapest either.
The box office should do well as long as the current attendance rate is held.
In Chicago, a screening of "The Purge" was nearing its end. Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader sat with his hands crossed on his lap, eyes fixed on the screen, seemingly captivated by the film.
As a well-known film critic, watching new releases every weekend was part of his job. Tonight, he happened to watch "The Purge" and decided to join the screening.
Unlike ordinary critics, Jonathan, who worked for ten years at the Chicago Reader, paid close attention to the cultural, social, political, and historical issues in films.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots echoed in the film as the black character, along with two Arabs, returned to the protagonist's home, killing everyone in sight. Corpses quickly littered the floor.
As the masks were removed, typical white faces appeared. Their bloody and ferocious looks highlighted the greatness of the black and Arab characters, who seemed like saviours.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Jonathan nodded. "This film is perfect."
Especially the ending, which elevated the entire film. Even if whites remained dominant, blacks and minorities couldn't be ignored.
This film deserved a prominent recommendation in his column.
The villainous white protagonist and his evil white neighbours died, while the black man and the Arabs returned to save the three women.
As the film ended, Jonathan stayed seated, closing his eyes to reflect and deepen his impression of the film.
The initial setup was exciting and profound, directly addressing the deep-seated issues in American society—government and social violence.
Then, the film's core shifted to racial issues—white supremacy, with minorities viewed as jokes by whites.
The father despised his Arab neighbours, selling them substandard security systems. On Purge Night, he remained silent about his dislike for blacks, while the youngest daughter, full of humanity, saved the black man. It was this black man who brought along the Arabs who were friendly with the little girl, saving the remaining family members.
Earlier, Jonathan heard a few viewers saying the kids were a burden...
He thought those white viewers were hopeless: Yes, in the darkest times of humanity, silence and self-preservation seemed the best choice. Anyone hoping to resist was courting death.
But what would society become if everyone remained silent?
In the darkest times, the light of humanity often shines the brightest.
The little girl saved her family by keeping the black man and being kind to the Arab neighbours. The neighbours had already decided to kill them. Without the high schoolers hunting the black man, could they have escaped?
Think about it: the girl got along well with the Arabs and sympathized with the black man. Children have no racial bias; why do so many people grow up to be like her father?
Where's the problem? Jonathan had only one answer: our society and nation are the problem!
The rights of minorities must be respected, not just when problems arise.
This film, seemingly a rough horror thriller, was actually a good film reflecting social realities. Beneath its horror shell, it deeply explored aspects of humanity, race, and society.
"Damn, what a crappy movie."
Some departing viewers muttered, clearly cursing the film: "The winners in the end were blacks and terrorists. Are you kidding me?"
Someone else agreed, "What a trash movie!"
Jonathan opened his eyes, saw the two white men, and could only sigh. The road to equality was still long.
He stood up and headed for the exit. It was time to write a column and ensure such a meaningful film wasn't overlooked.
In Queens, New York, Owen and Bill had just left the theatre.
"That was a good movie," Owen said enthusiastically. "Those trash who look down on us should end up like the whites in the film."
Despite years of slogans, discrimination remained severe, so Bill nodded vigorously. "If it were me, I wouldn't return to save anyone."
Owen countered, "There are good people among whites, too."
Bill thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, Jack and John are our friends."
They took a cab back to their neighbourhood and walked in, soon encountering four or five acquaintances.
"Hey, where have you been?" a bald man asked. "Didn't see you on the court tonight."
Owen flashed a white-toothed smile. "Went to see a movie."
The fat guy behind the bald man asked, "Did you watch a horror movie?"
Watching horror films during Halloween has become a cultural trend.
Bill chimed in, "Saw a great horror movie. You should watch it too, it's called 'The Purge.' It's awesome! The black character in it is fascinating; killed a bunch of bad white guys."
The bald man showed interest. "Really? I'll check it out tomorrow."
They chatted about the movie and the game, then went their separate ways.
Targeted advertising and accurate audience positioning gradually showed results. As more people watched "The Purge," word-of-mouth spread quickly.
Moreover, some professional critics interpreted the film as addressing profound social issues.
Even Michael hadn't anticipated this.
On Saturday, the second day of "The Purge's" release, the film appeared in prominent recommendations in several critics' columns.
Speaking for minorities and criticizing whites was a natural duty for left-leaning white critics!
Of course, there was also much criticism, especially from white viewers.
In just one day, "The Purge" had polarized opinions, showing severe divisions.