Why ‘The First Purge’ And ‘Fireworks’ Are Perfect Movies To See On The Fourth Of July

What’s on your agenda for the Fourth of July? Some of us will spend it tossing firecrackers and eating something traditional such as grilled hot dogs and ice cream. Others, still, like to head to the theatre on holidays to watch movies. The First Purge and Fireworks are two flicks that Movie Insider lists as having Fourth of July themes, so you might want to catch them on their opening day, July 4, in order to maximize that “patriotic” feeling.

1. Purge 4: The First Purge

Tomorrow, many of us will celebrate America’s independence from its oppressors. Keeping that in mind, isn’t the Fourth of July also about movements and rebellions that began as a simple experiment? That’s true, and so is the premise behind the latest installment of The Purge.

Fans of The Purge franchise will get a heavy dose of violence (Just like in the Revolutionary War) in this fourth chapter of the series that’s not for the faint of heart. The First Purge is additionally a prequel that has moviegoers bearing witness to the social experiment that leads to the rise of the familiar theme seen in the first three chapters. Namely, that there are 12 hours in America where crime is legal once a year.

The flick goes back to where it all began and examines the reasoning behind the tradition. In First Purge, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFAA) are running social theory experiments to get the crime rate to fall below 1 percent the rest of the year. The tests are then conducted on human guinea pigs in an isolated community, and the violence fueled by the oppressor’s violence meeting the marginalized’s rage spreads like wildfire past the trial location.

The First Purge stars Mo McRae, Joivan Wade, and Luna Lauren Velez

2. Fireworks

Even the name of this animated movie shouts Fourth of July, right? There is even a scene in Fireworks where the main characters and their friends cannot agree whether or not fireworks going off are “flat” or “round.” However, the plot isn’t so much about a fireworks show, as it is about schoolboys Norimichi and Yusuke both wanting beautiful fireworks to go off between them and their classmate, Nazuna.

The film is also about a magical glowing ball that can reset the clock. However, we won’t give away the story plot about why it’s needed or who gets the girl. The movie is based on a 1993 Japanese live-action television play of the same name, and it was also released in theaters in 1995. Fireworks is going to be a good movie to see if you are a heartfelt romantic, anime lover, or are a fan that has an intellectual and emotional connection with the 1993 TV play and 1995 film.

Here are two comments on Rotten Tomatoes from critics that enjoyed watching Fireworks.

“Temporal loops and magic balls make for a strange, colourful combination.”

“This is a gorgeous animation with a heartfelt message. Stunning 3D work and a measured exploration of the motion of time and us within it.”

Voice actors in Fireworks include Suzu Hirose, Masaki Suda, Mamoru Miyano, and Shintaro Asanuma.