Review of “The Purge: Anarchy”

Warning! Contains spoilers! 

This movie comes with a little bit of machete slashed baggage. “The Purge” was an interesting 2013 action-horror staring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. That’s ‘interesting’ as in “Hay guys, this films got Lena Headey in it!” But that’s unfair. “The Purge” initially had me buy in with its simple premise. All marketing focused on the film titular theme rather than the plot. I cannot put it simpler than the automated announcer – “for the next twelve hours, all crime is legal.” That’s pretty much it. It was enough to get my mind skipping with intrigue and potential. I must point out that the original was ok. Just ok. In the post movie pub session it became clear that the setting of “The Purge” was more interesting than the film itself. Let’s hope the first (of many, I am sure) sequel will do better.

Twas the night before Purge and all over the city, people were quickly and quietly doing everything possible not to be killed when the alarms sound. A mother and daughter combo sit in their apartment hoping to survive the night and that the randy doorman doesn’t break in and have his way with them. A young couple are driving down the highway when their car dramatically and predictably breaks down. Even Green Flag have a crap response time on the Purge. Dark and brooding guy-with-lots-of-guns (Frank Grillo) gets ready for a night on the town. Of death! His son died in the previous year and now he wants pay back. Soon all our characters are thrown together and gun dude is torn between protecting them and completing his own Purge. As they move through the battle torn city we all learn the real reason behind the Purge while mumbling about how fucked up Americans are. 

This is ‘Big Daddy’ and his SWAT team getting ready to do their duty

Well it ticks most of the sequel boxes. Bigger budget, bigger cast and bigger ideas. I couldn’t help but notice that this film had dropped the ‘horror’ tag that the originally had sheepishly worn like a temporary tattoo. Our cast do a competent job of being two dimensional (but functional!) helpless semi-victims. After seeing ‘Winter Soldier’ I’m glad that Grillo has gotten a part that plays off his threatening demeanour. What was a little hard to swallow is the latent killer hiding inside each American just waiting for a plot point to drag it out guns blazing. And teenagers! If this is unfair, I don’t care. If you are in the middle of a city full of killers looking for their next victim and you find yourself teamed up with an obviously experience warrior armed to the teeth then fucking do what he says!!!  I don’t care how antsy a young adult can be it all gets thrown into perspective by a Latino with a machete and bottle of baby oil. DO WHAT THE FRIENDLY MAN WITH THE MACHIEGUN ASKS YOU TO. I’m not even going to stop hammering the point home – every time Cali (the unknown Zoe Soul) argued with our dark hero it completely dragged me out the story. This cliché behaviour deserves to be purge all by itself!

For only $100,000 you can Purge in the safety of your home

Rich people suck. You might not agree but the movie makers certainly do. Turns out the whole Purge idea was orchestrated by the rich to remove the poor from American streets. If the USA is a system built on the rich exploiting the needy then ‘The Purge: Anarchy’ takes that to its bloody conclusion. If you are white and have lots of money, this movie does not do you any favours. There is a saturation sensation of ‘other’ when the rich are involved. My top moment for the entire movie exemplifies this perfectly. Our group of survives are kidnapped and sold to a private dinner party held within a fortress mansion. The group is auctioned off and put into a closed off, pitch black sculpted garden. The tux warring purchasers disappear to ‘prepare themselves.’ By the time our heroes are crapping themselves to the max, the doors open and our rich, night vision equipped hunters enter the garden. Why so memorable? The hunters are all dressed like they are out shooting grouse. It’s so preposterous that the idea of a uniform for murder dehumanises the wealthy even further.

All in all the ‘Purge: Anarchy’ is a bit of grim fun. I don’t think it will stick with you longer than the next action movie but, once again, the theme may stay fresh. Frankly, everyone should just chill out and have a cup of tea.

I give ‘The Purge: Anarchy’ two and a half Brian faces out of five. A distinct lack of Lena Headey did not help its score.