The plot of The Purge, in case you haven’t seen any of the roughly 93 films in the Blumhouse series, is that all crimes are legal for 12 hours on one day of the year. Hulu’s The Binge supposes, what if instead of murder and arson and listening to all four hours of a Joe Rogan podcast (the most heinous crime of all), drugs and alcohol are illegal in America’s glorious near-future, except for one night of the year where anything goes. In this case, “anything” means “teens cracking open a room temperature Natty Ice.”
The Binge is a knowingly silly premise for a movie (the title alone…), but that’s why it could be fun? At the very least, it’s a high-concept twist on the trope of teens trying to get laid on prom night. I mean, The Binge still has teens trying to get laid, but… it also an alligator on the dance floor. And a pop-punk cover of Afroman’s stoner-rap classic “Because I Got High.” It’s honestly shocking that The Binge wasn’t made in, like, 2008.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
In the not so distant future all drinking and drugs have been made completely illegal by the government… except for one night a year. High school seniors, Griffin, Hags and Andrew make a pilgrimage to get to the best party in town where all their dreams will come true… Sure they will have to avoid their crazed principal, violent siblings, and the wild animals roaming the streets, but that’s all part of the fun! Their friendship will be tested, love live’s will be rattled and their brains completely scrambled. One thing is for sure, no one’s life is EVER the same after participating in The Binge!
The Binge, which stars Skyler Gisondo, Eduardo Franco, Dexter Darden, Vince Vaughn, Grace Van Dien and Zainne Saleh, premieres on Hulu on August 28.