Movie Info
Movie Name: The Purge: Anarchy
Studio: Platinum Dunes
Genre(s): Horror/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): July 18, 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Everybody must purge!
It is the annual Purge, and everyone is getting ready for the event. Eva Sanchez (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Cali (Zoë Soul) find their home invaded and are forced out on to the streets. Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are tracked by Purgers who targeted them and now cannot find shelter. Their only hope could be Sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) who has his own plans for Purge night and his own target…but being a hero could be more dangerous for Barnes than he expected as a secret government plan is exposed.
Written and directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge: Anarchy is a follow-up action-horror film to the surprise 2013 hit The Purge. The film was widely seen as better than the original by critics but still received mixed reviews.
Purge night…let’s make a real effort not to get anywhere safe!
The Purge was an interesting concept in a movie that wasn’t interesting at all. The Purge: Anarchy sets to rectify some of the problems of The Purge by exploring the idea of the Purge and what it means to different people. While the first film was more of a horror film, The Purge: Anarchy felt more like an action-thriller in many parts.
The story feels a little like something in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. It explores different aspects of the Purge (like the elite “buying” people to be their victims, etc.), but also continues to raise questions about the idea itself…it appears there are rules to the Purge, but who enforces the rules since there is no law…and can it be prosecuted after the Purge? It doesn’t entirely make sense in that aspect, but I prefer the exploration of it when compared to the dull horror film that was presented in the first Purge.
The cast is a little bigger in that it is somewhat of an ensemble cast. Frank Grillo would be considered the star of the film since the movie largely focuses on his character’s development and he does an ok job carrying the film. The supporting cast (primarily Carmen Ejogo as Grillo’s back-up) is also stronger than the previous film.
The rich gotta purge too
The movie seems to lose some of the horror of the first film. There are some horrific moments, but the home invasion aspect of the first film made it more of a horror film…along with the creepy masks. Here it feels and looks like a Grindhouse-lite that could have been amplified (though the film does look better since it isn’t trapped in a house setting)
The Purge: Anarchy shows some hope for the franchise, but it also feels like the film is headed in a different direction than the previous film both in style and content. It sets up so much potential for future sequels and areas of exploration but also could go into prequels and how the Purge came about. The Purge only lasts for twelve hours, but we could have years and years of Purge films. The Purge: Anarchy is followed by The Purge: Election Year in 2016.
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