Movie Review: The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
I didn’t get a chance to watch 2013′s The Purge in theaters, but caught in on home video a few weeks ago with some friends. While I wasn’t all that impressed with the film itself, the concept was certainly intriguing, especially for someone like me who absolutely hates the United States’ gun culture. While certainly flawed, The Purge: Anarchy is a significant improvement over its predecessor, and is one of this summer’s most pleasant (well, kind of) surprises.
It’s the year 2023, and the annual purge – 12 hours of legal lawlessness where citizens are encouraged to murder each other in droves – is about to begin. Just as Shane (Zach Gilford) and his wife Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are driving home to lockdown, their car breaks down in the middle of the road, turning them into sitting ducks, just waiting to be killed. Meanwhile, Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Cali (Zoë Soul) have run into some trouble of their own, and now also find themselves defenseless. Lucky for them, they run into Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), a police Sergeant who’s out in the streets for his own personal reasons. It’s now up to Leo to keep them safe, which is much easier said than done.
I was really surprised at how solid The Purge: Anarchy turned out to be. The last film basically focused on a single wealthy family without giving us much of a sense of how the purge was affecting everyday folk. Anarchy completely rectifies that and throws us in the middle of downtown Los Angeles where people are getting murdered left and right. The violence isn’t overly graphic or gratuitous, but it’s enough to make you shake your head in disapproval and wonder why everyone doesn’t just pack their stuff and move to Europe.
Listening to people talk about this annual murder-fest as if it was just another regular holiday is still super bizarre and absurd, but that’s exactly the point. People have gotten so desensitized to violence – which is exactly what’s happening in this country – that a holiday which encourages crime has become the norm. Writer-director James DeMonaco makes sure the film has something to say about income and racial inequality, and while it’s not the most poignant stuff out there, it’s more substantial than the majority of films of its ilk. One thing that did really piss me off was the fact that some people are out shopping for groceries just a couple of hours before all hell breaks loose. Go home and lock your doors, idiots.
While the performances are mostly just serviceable, Frank Grillo and Zoë Soul really manage to stand out, and Grillo in particular gives the film a lot more credibility. The last film benefited from having Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey in the title roles, and Anarchy certainly benefits from having Grillo leading the charge. He’s an incredibly convincing action star, and I was a big fan ever since I saw him in Warrior. I hope we see him land more leading roles like this.
The Verdict:
If you thought the first Purge didn’t live up to its full potential, then I suggest you give Anarchy a shot. It’s a vast improvement over its predecessor, and it actually has something to say about where this society is headed. You could even say that I’m excited to see where this horror franchise goes next.
Numerical Score: 7/10
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