Movie Review - The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy movie review

The original Purge movie came out last summer, and it was an interesting concept: crime rates have actually gone down in America because of this one annual night, where any and all crime, including murder, is legal for 12 hours. I love dystopian movies and lit, and I liked the film as well, though I wanted more answers about the Purge's backstory. We don't really get any more answers in The Purge: Anarchy, but we do get a deeper look into the Purge and how terrifying it is for those who just want to stay home and stay safe.

On Purge night, we start off with three stories that slowly convene into one. A mysterious man (Frank Grillo) is headed out in an armored car to kill the man that accidentally killed his son. A mother and daughter, Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and Cali (Zoe Soul) are going to stay home with their Papa (John Beasley). And Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) have the misfortune of their car breaking down right in the middle of downtown, a few hours before the Purge begins - an accident, or is it? When Eva and Cali are forced out of their apartment, Shane and Liz start running for their lives, and the man in the armored car all intersect, the Purge has started and is in full force - and won't be over until daybreak.

I'd say this sequel is on about the same level as the last one, although it's more of a collaborative effort this time around, as the last film focused more on Ethan Hawke's character and his family. The Purge movies continue to creep me out immensely, but at the same time I don't really consider it a "horror" film like IMDb classifies it; more like "action/thriller," which it also says on the site. In this installment, we get to learn more about what wealthy families do during the Purge, too, and it sets up some interesting scenes in the movie.

Yes, see this film, but be aware it earns its R-rating, for goriness and language. You don't have to see the first Purge to enjoy this one, but I'd recommend it so that you have a little more info about the Purge going in to the second film. It's definitely a summer popcorn movie, but the premise continues to intrigue me, even though I still wanted more background info in this film, that I again, like the first film, did not receive. Overall, I did like that this movie introduced many new characters and situations into the mix, though, and if you can handle large amounts of violence and gore, it's an interesting film to see.

The Purge: Anarchy is in theaters today, July 18th, and is rated R with a runtime of 103 minutes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

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