Tagline: An American tradition
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director: James DeMonaco
Cast: Frank Grillo, Justina Machado, Jack Conley, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Kenneth Williams, Lakeith Stanfield, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Noel Gugliemi, John Beasley, Castulo Guerra, Edwin Hodge, Roberta Valderrama, Niko Nicotera, Bel Hernandez, Lily Knight, Jasper Cole, Brandon Keener, Amy Price-Francis, Vick Sabitjian, Matt Lasky, Wiley B. Oscar, Nicholas Gonzalez, Chad Morgan, Judith McConnell, Adrian Sparks, Rick Chambers, Amy Paffrath, Dale Dye, Carla Jimenez, Brad Drake, Rowan Alexander, Roger Schueller, Michael Thurman, Branton Box, Brennan Feonix, Cindy Robinson, Zoë Soul, Chris Gann, Jeremy Fitzgerald, Tammie Baird, Alina Andrei, Cortney Palm
Release: 2014-07-17
Runtime: 104
Plot: One night per year, the government sanctions a 12-hour period in which citizens can commit any crime they wish -- including murder -- without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Leo, a sergeant who lost his son, plans a vigilante mission of revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of a death-dealing avenger, he becomes the unexpected protector of four innocent strangers who desperately need his help if they are to survive the night.Yes, it's clearly meant as a new yearly franchise (the notion is even built into the concept of the film). But no, it isn't as derivative as you might think.
Here's an excerpt from my full review:
3.5 out of 5. As far as sequels go, The Purge: Anarchy avoids most of the usual pitfalls, taking us further into the world established in the first film and even laying the groundwork for future instalments. The basic concept — a 12-hour, government-sanctioned killing spree — is still as ludicrous as ever, but the gravitas that Grillo brings to the lead role makes it easy to suspend your disbelief. There's no denying that it feels like the next logical evolution of the franchise. And we'll no doubt be seeing more of it come this time next year.Taking place one year after the events of the first film, Anarchy chronicles the ordeal of one such group of individuals, as they attempt to survive Purge night 2023 in downtown Los Angeles. Among them, Leo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Frank Grillo), a man out to punish the drunk driver who took the life of his son, Shane and Liz (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez), a stranded couple fleeing the hooligans who sabotaged their car, and Eva and Cali (Carmen Ejogo and Zoë Soul), a single mother and her daughter snatched from their home by armed soldiers bearing an uncanny resemblance to government agents. It's a diverse group, but, ultimately, the only character who's able to sustain our interest throughout the duration of the entire film is Grillo's, who finds his mission of vengeance unexpectedly interrupted after he crosses paths with the other characters, becoming their reluctant protector.
Watching Leo cruise the darkened streets of L.A. in his souped-up armored car — a trunk full of weapons and a mind hellbent on revenge — one can't help but be reminded of another gritty anti-hero: The Punisher. Grillo certainly looks the part, and he's got the tortured persona shared by both his character and the Marvel icon down pat. Not to mention, he brings immense authenticity to the film's action scenes, whether he's unloading a clip full of ammo into his adversaries or subduing a stubborn opponent with his bare hands. The other characters, however, are less memorable: Shane and Liz are basically a rehash of almost every hapless couple-turned-potential-victims found in run-of-the-mill horror films, while Eva and Cali fare only slightly better, filling the role of Leo's newfound conscience.
Aside from Grillo, Anarchy's other bit of inspired casting comes in the form of The Wire's Michael K. Williams as an underground resistance leader named Carmelo — a character in a similar vein as Demolition Man's Edgar Friendly or Total Recall's Kuato — who rallies the city's underclass to retaliate against the regime of the New Founding Fathers. Via Carmelo's "Call to Action", writer/director James DeMonaco takes the sly societal subtext of his original film and brings it to the forefront, with Williams channelling his outspoken/foul-mouthed inner Samuel L. Jackson as he decries the government's sinister agenda of promoting class warfare to weed out those on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic stratum.
Unfortunately, DeMonaco doesn't explore the resistance subplot to its fullest potential, presumably saving that for future sequels. He does, however, avoid retreading familiar territory by ditching the claustrophobic, house-bound setting of the first film in favor of a GTA-style urban nightmare. The result is a front-row seat to the chaos and calamity that was only briefly glimpsed in news clips and surveillance footage the last time around, as ordinary citizens transform themselves into masked marauders who skulk the streets in search of blood. And while that translates into an escalating level of violence that could have very well have devolved into parody, DeMonaco handles it with a darkly satirical touch that lets the audience know that the movie's in on the joke, instead of becoming the butt of it.