The Purge: Anarchy

The Gist: It’s that time again in America, when for 12 hours all citizens are invited to purge their worst instincts, unencumbered by the threat of legal repercussions. A few strangers band together to improve their chances of making it through the night alive.

The Purge: Anarchy, sequel to The Purge, follows the same script of its predecessor. Countless purgers are off to indulge their worst instincts while a few unfortunate targets try to make it out alive. Frank Grillo (strong, broody, and determined) plays the hero and his quest for revenge pushes the action forward while constantly trying to avoid the many speed bumps found along the way.

Amid the scares and carnage, the first chapter successfully delivered a lesson about income inequality, primarily by showing how much more likely to survive the night the rich would be versus those without the means to protect themselves, either by hiding inside a safe refuge or through plenty of firepower.

Anarchy relies move heavily on action and death, but a character is introduced towards the end who lays out his theory about the Purge being nothing but a ploy by the government to cull the rolls of the needy (be it poor, unemployed, or sick). A form of population control, if you will, carried out by the populace itself on behalf of the elites.

The Bottom Line: I won’t try to persuade anyone that this is “quality entertainment,” but if you like horror movies, this won’t disappoint, and the displays of social norms’ breakdowns are certainly jarring. Also, it actually improves upon the first movie in the franchise.

Grade: 6