Before its impact was diluted by repetitive sequels, and an unnecessary two-season TV series, The Purge impressed as a thrilling execution of an inspired idea. The horrifying concept of a single night of the year when all crimes could be committed without fear of prosecution drove the plot of an edgy and violent neighbourhood siege flick. The politics of The Purge were left open to interpretation, but it was difficult to ignore the contrast between the lives of the privileged and those of the marginalised on which the film’s morality pivoted. Paraguayan-Argentine vengeance thriller The List gives this same notion a clearer social conscience.
In Gran Chaco, after an oppressive regime is removed from office, a jubilant population is invited to vote in a poll that will decide which members of the old order will pay for their crimes against the people. During a twelve-hour window, generals, politicians, money launderers, and secret policemen are all fair game for marauding street gangs. Several of the regime’s inner circle seek sanctuary in a college annexe, but a group of students led by their professor track them down and are determined to evict them to exact summary justice.
Written, produced, and directed by Michael J. Hardy, The List was shot in a mixture of English and Spanish on a tiny budget. The patchy acting talents of the small ensemble, the uneven pacing, and the over-reliance on static dialogue all reduce the impact of the promising premise. Hardy does deserve credit though for pursuing a much sharper political perspective than The Purge ever adopted, and for being unapologetic about where his audience’s loyalties should lie.
THE LIST (LA LISTA) will be released on streaming platforms in the UK
