Where to watch Purgatory
2 Stars
An outlaw band flees a posse and rides into Refuge, a small town where no one carries a gun, drinks, or swears. The town is actually Purgatory, and the peaceful inhabitants are all famous dead outlaws and criminals such as Doc Holiday and Wild Bill Hickok who must redeem themselves before gaining admittance to Heaven…or screw up and go to Hell. The residents must either defend themselves against the outlaws and risk eternal damnation… or die a second time.
TNT released a number of Western movies during the 1990s, and “Purgatory” arrived at a time when the network was at its peak. The production was given a decent-sized budget, allowing the producers to enlist talents like Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, and Randy Quaid, among a cast of mostly familiar faces. Uli Edel, known for the average HBO movie “Tyson,” directed several TV films.
While “Purgatory” starts strong, particularly with the opening shot of the western town showcasing the entrance of Roberts’s gang, the rest of the movie feels rudimentary and poorly staged. The film has an intriguing underlying concept, but the script fails to take the story in unexpected or original directions, ultimately not leading to a logical conclusion. The first half of “Purgatory” is great, but the second half becomes stale and meanders before concluding with an expected showdown. The supernatural elements of the story are not effectively utilized.
Roberts is a compelling actor, but he is left to carry the film on his own, as the other performers lack the charisma and memorability to match his energy. It has always puzzled me why filmmakers choose to remake “good” movies. Instead, it would make more sense to remake the ones that achieved success. “Purgatory” is a mediocre film with an excellent setup that would be ripe for a modern filmmaker or producer to explore.
Directed by: Uli Edel
Written by: Gordon T. Dawson
Starring: Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid