The Purge: Anarchy
Several years since the new founding fathers of America enacted “The Purge,” (a lawless night where all crime is legal) a number of abstaining citizens find themselves in the unfortunate position of being stuck in the eye of the storm as the purge begins. Things look bleak for Eva (Carmen Ejogo), Cali (Zoe Soul), Shane (Zach Gilford), and Liz (Kiele Sanchez); until a mysterious purging man with a conscience (Frank Grillo) opts to save their lives. By sticking together they might all just survive the night, but what are each other’s true motives, and might that be an issue?
Written and Directed by James DeMonaco a slightly larger scope to the modest proposal of 2013’s The Purge appears in view with no political misgivings; sadly, given the slasher/horror treatment deployed, audiences who could benefit from such a political message will probably stay far far away. None the less, effective tension and pacing keeps things interesting, and with a runtime well under 2 hours no welcome’s are overstayed. From an acting standpoint the entire ensemble performs nicely, punctuating the overall horror with just enough humor to keep things lively, so to speak. Fans of the genre will appreciate, although, creativity in death scores a relative low on the spatter scale, hmmm. The Purge: Anarchy is rated R.