THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR review by Mark Walters – Frank Grillo is purging politics

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR review by Mark Walters – Frank Grillo is purging politics

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THE PURGE became a surprise hit in 2013, utilizing the concept that one night a year all crime would be legal for 12 hours, and this “purging” would allow society to get the evil out of their system, therefore reducing crime in everyday life. It grossed $64 million on a $3 million budget, which of course led to sequel just a year later. While the first movie took place in a single house, THE PURGE: ANARCHY (2014) carried the carnage out into the streets, giving us an idea of what it’s like trying to survive the night out in the open. THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR very smartly plays off the idea of political elections and candidates trying to sway people toward either a proposed peace or further chaos.

The opening of the new story shows (through flashback) a family being held on Purge night 15 years ago, and it’s explained through news reports that the young girl who survived this horrible evening grew up to be Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a Presidential candidate very much against the idea of The Purge. Her head of security Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) realizes her outspoken stance against the government could potentially make her a big time target. The government officials who support The Purge want her dead, and plan on using Purge night as a time to strike. It’s even established that during this year’s Purge, no one is off limits, meaning even the normally protected political types are fair game. We’re also introduced to cash-strapped convenience store owner Joe Dixon (Mykelti Williamson), his immigrant employee Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), Purge survivor and vigilante/medic Laney Rucker (Betty Gabriel), and resistance group leader Dante Bishop (Edwin Hodge, who played the helpless stranger from the first movie)… all of these characters will eventually connect, of course. Senator Roan sees leaving town or hiding away in a bunker as a sign of weakness to her potential voters, so she insists on staying in her heavily secured and locked down home for the evening. Joe locks up his store for the night, but isn’t able to renew his “Purge Insurance”, so he stands guard from the rooftops to prevent looting. Once the carnage of the night commences, none of our characters are safe, and may only be able to turn to each other in order to survive.

In many ways this PURGE movie may be the most effective and cohesive of the three, finding the right balance of character moments and chaos to make for an entertaining horror adventure. It also feels like it could be a wrap up story, in the event the filmmakers decide to stop the franchise here. The leave off actually feels like a solid and logical conclusion to everything we’ve seen leading up to it. One thing I appreciated is the idea of what something like Purge Night could potentially lead to, even for normal people. There are moments throughout the film hinting at “normal” folks committing extreme acts because of The Purge, perhaps pushing them to exact some weird revenge or justice-guided fantasy – wives killing abusive husbands, that sort of thing. There’s also some obvious political commentary in that the biggest danger of the evening is geared toward the poor folks who can’t afford to protect themselves, and how it’s not fair that they have to live in fear. Without trying to make this a political observation, one could argue that THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR is a sort of conservative fantasy (gun-packing wealthy folks taking out their frustrations on poor criminals) with a liberal resolve (looking for a solution that protects everyone and stops the violence). Heck, can you imagine how much money the NRA makes in this fictional universe’s lead up to the annual evening of crime? It also begs the question of whether or not something like this would even work. Could people really behave themselves all year long if they knew that one night a year they could (literally) get away with murder? Insurance companies must make a fortune here – something that is actually addressed in the film.

Frank Grillo reprises his role from THE PURGE: ANARCHY, but is a different man here, more sophisticated and purposeful than before. It’s nice to see the character return, but show growth at the same time. He’s seen it all and lived to tell stories, so he knows what to do and how to do it, and also knows not to trust anyone. I like Grillo, and it’s fun to see him have such a commanding presence in these films. Elizabeth Mitchell is rather good as Senator Roan, a woman who has seen the worst of Purge night and possesses personal motivations to do away with it. She’s not a damsel in distress, but also knows there’s a right and wrong way to complete her goals, even if it means potentially losing in her mission. She was terrific in LOST, and here she plays a strong and confident woman you rarely see in the horror genre. Mykelti Williamson is terrific as Joe, the wise old voice of reason in this chaotic world that you can’t help but respect. He’s willing to do what is necessary, but also wants to set a good example for Marcos, who he hopes to have take over his store one day. And Joseph Julian Soria is solid as Marcos, the noble worker who desperately wants to prove his worth in this world gone wrong. Betty Gabriel is great as Laney, the tough street medic who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty – again, a strong and surprising presence you don’t often witness in these types of movies. And I really appreciated seeing Edwin Hodge come full circle after playing the stranger in the first movie, and in this movie being the leader of the current resistance. It makes his survival in the first outing so much more important and really helps connect the films, plus he’s just a cool actor playing a cool character with just the right amount of mystery behind it.

There’s some nice moments in this outing that expand the scope of the film, such as having European tourists coming over to participate in Purge Night, or seeing iconic monuments in Washington D.C. desecrated with blood and hanging victims on the fateful evening. Creator/director James DeMonaco has crafted this trilogy into something you really must appreciate, from humble beginnings into what now feels like a grand horror universe. While I think the idea of these PURGE movies is fascinating in a TWILIGHT ZONE / OUTER LIMITS sort of way, the concept of a “what if?” world with one very specific day of reckoning, I also wonder if some of this could be perceived as a weird sort of sicko fantasy. Granted, there’s parts of the political aspects in these stories that are not that far removed from our current reality, and maybe that’s the scariest part. Is this where we’re potentially headed? Sometimes movies, even ones that are meant to be perceived as nothing more than hypothetical fantasy, can be strange mirrors facing real life… and maybe in that regard, it would be best if this should end up as the (satisfying) final chapter in a rather horrific fictional universe.

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR opens on July 1, 2014

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.