The Purge: Anarchy (2014) User Reviews (363)

More action packed than its predecessor.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 11 July 2021]

I first saw this in 2014 on a dvd which I own. Revisited it recently with my family.

This is the second installment in The Purge franchise. While the first film was set entirely in one house, this one takes place around the Los Angeles area and shows more of what happens to the surroundings during the purge night.

While many liked this one better than its predecessor, i found the first one more tension filled n shocking.

This one is a good action thriller and has one of my fav actor Frank Grillo, in his first leading role.

This one has more action n the empty roads n alleys gave a creepy feel to it.

I can see now why it's not called "The Purge 2"

[EllaMentree · 6/10 · 21 July 2014]

The 2013 movie "The Purge" left a bad taste in all of our mouths as nothing more than a pseudo-slasher with a hamfisted plot, poor pacing, and a desperate attempt at "horror." Upon seeing the first trailer for "The Purge: Anarchy," my first and most immediate thought was "we really don't need another one of these." The first film was self-contained and didn't leave any opening for a reasonable sequel. But after seeing a few more commercials and looking into it some more, I decided to give this film the benefit of the doubt and I am NOT disappointed.

The film stands on its own feet much better than the first film did, and mostly because of what it's going for. Instead of trying to be a Horror movie, it becomes a fantastic Thriller/Action film set in a pseudo-apocalyptic future about a group of people trying to survive on a night where it's all-out war on the streets.

A lot of themes are explored -- Human Nature, Fear, Anger, Revenge, Heroism -- in ways that many other movies don't really explore it. And more than that, every small detail is kept in mind throughout the film.

Compared to everything else I've seen so far this year, this is by far the best thriller film to come out. It holds its own and it has a message instead of just being a movie about wanton violence. The action scenes are done well, and the tension is enough to keep interest even in the low parts of the film. Every moment you think is safe leads directly into the next moment of pressure for the main characters, and you can't help but sympathize for the characters who (all but one) don't even want to be stuck out here on this horrid night.

I very highly recommend this film to anyone who likes thrillers or action films with a little bit of psychological horror thrown in.

And a little bit of a tip? Forget everything from the first film. "The Purge" doesn't set up or explain anything that this film doesn't, doesn't add anything to this film, and isn't even worth watching beforehand.

The Purge: Anarchy is a great film in its own right and it's worth watching. My only issue is that the first film couldn't have been more like this.

The writing's a bit lazy

[rhirahan · 5/10 · 25 September 2019]

Like maybe don't go grocery shopping 30 minutes before purge.

The Purge Sequel: Less Anarchic than the First

[camachbr0 · 7/10 · 21 July 2014]

Here is how I see it. The second installment (to what promises to be a yearly occurrence) of the Purge was a lot better than the first. But it isn't because The Purge: Anarchy is a significant film. It's because Writer/Director James DeMonaco is finally able to incorporate the underlying theme of class hierarchy that was completely misguided in its predecessor.

The big mistake with the first film was making it a trite home invasion thriller. With Anarchy, we explore the outside world during the 6th annual Purge, and it proves, without a doubt, to be ten times more thrilling and suspenseful. We see the nut cases in freaky masks (one with GOD written on it) wielding their weapons of choice. We see the upper class citizens holding each others hands reciting the "New Founding Fathers" motto that feels like some satanic cult. In our seats, we feel that we have to look around all at times, because there could be a killer ahead or behind us.

There are three revolving stories of people who are entering the night. One is Eva and Cali, a waitress and her daughter. There is Shane and Liz, a crumbling couple with no killer instincts at all. And then there is Leo, the sergeant, the "kick ass and take names" guy. Leo is out to revenge Purge. The others find themselves wandering the street. Leo winds up having to protect them. Will his generosity effect his main goal? Can Leo really save everyone? Frank Gillo makes for a very convincing and likable hero. While we watch and the story unfolds, we learn that The Purge, and its purgers, aren't so much anarchic as they are regulated.

With it's unique premise the Purge is always able to separate itself from the average horror/thriller film. Most importantly, Anarchy is a step up because it realizes its potential to be truly scary from the realism of its "legal murder" concept; rather than just bludgeoning people left and right. Unlike the first film, your instinctive fascination with such a nightmare concept will multiply here, not diminish or turn into a laughing stock.

I can recommend Purge Anarchy. Not only does it save what looked to be a profitable franchise, but it is a decent film too.

Better and Better than the First Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 19 December 2014]

In 2023, the Purge Night is about to start for the next 12 hours. A stranger (Frank Grillo) leaves home and drives his car with a mysterious purpose. Meanwhile, the couple Liz (Kiele Sanchez) and Shane (Zach Gilford) are provoked by a masked man. They drive in the highway and their car unexpectedly stops. Soon they find that it was sabotaged by the group of masked man that are waiting for the beginning of the Purge. When it begins, they are hunted down by the masked man. Meanwhile, Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Cali (Zoë Soul) find that Eva's father sold himself to a wealthy family since he is a burden to Eva and Cali sine he is sick. Out of the blue, an army invades their building and breaks into their apartment. They are taken to the leader but the stranger decides to save them and kills the soldiers. Meanwhile Liz and Shane hide inside the stranger's car and he decides to help them to survive. However his car is hit by the bullets and he needs another car for his mission. Eva tells that her friend Tanya (Justina Machado) lives a few blocks away and he would borrow her car. Soon the stranger gets involved by the four survivors and helps them during the dangerous night.

"The Purge: Anarchy" is better and better than the first movie since it is an action film in the style of "Warriors", "Escape from New York" and "Hostel". The premise is still stupid, but there is an ironic criticism to the America Society together with lots of action. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Noite de Crime: Anarquia" ("One Night of Crime: Anarchy")

Anarchic purge

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 8 August 2018]

Am another person who didn't care at all for 'The Purge' from 2013. It wasn't completely unwatchable with a couple of reasonable performances and decent production values but was so tension and suspense-free and full of irritating characters, illogical character behaviours, a dull pace, a cheesy script and tired clichés.

Had seen and heard numerous times people saying that 'The Purge: Anarchy' was a much better film. Will admit that due to disliking 'The Purge' so much, part of me was very unsure as to whether to watch 'The Purge: Anarchy' and very nearly didn't watch it. To be fair though, decided to watch it and found it not to be a waste of time at all, it is a second film that stands well on its own and doesn't try to be more of the same and instead be different from the predecessor. Am in complete agreement with those saying that this is the far superior film, while thinking that it was still flawed and not too great.

'The Purge: Anarchy' has a lot of good things. The story execution is much better this time round, it's more eventful, is tighter paced, is intriguing and has some creepy atmosphere and suspense. The acting is also better, with a formidable Frank Grillo leading the cast with aplomb.

Less irritating characters here too, generally the characters are easier to relate to and are not as shallow, their behaviour also makes more sense and induces less face palms. There are unsettling moments here, some fun ones and some intriguing ones. It's assuredly directed and the slick and gritty visual look remains, its effort to be larger in scale in terms of ideas and narrative and have more going on is laudable.

However, 'The Purge: Anarchy' is still heavily flawed. The dialogue is still enough to make one cringe and just sounds so fatigued, stilted and without any imagination. The social commentary and rich vs poor aspects are dealt with in a heavy-handed way and the effects are shoddy and do look fake.

Character development is very flimsy and 'The Purge: Anarchy' still has a few characters that frustrate (especially the annoying Cali, with Zoe Soul giving the only "bad" performance), not much imaginative or surprising and the clichés every bit as tired. There are some parts that feel like they're stretched out too far, the ending doesn't finish the film with a bang as much as one would hope.

Reading those criticisms, one would think that 'The Purge: Anarchy' is a bad film. Unlike 'The Purge', it is not. It's problematic and is not a great film, but overall it's decent enough and has a good deal in its favour with things that were bad previously corrected. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Improvement with Anarchy

[rgkarim · 7/10 · 19 July 2014]

Last year we were introduced to the Purge, a thriller that slightly strayed from the typical path by diving into the world of legalized crime. Yes you heard me legalized crime, where for 12 hours: theft, sexual assault and even murder are free of punishment in an attempt to reduce crime as a whole. The first installment into this series, attempted to scare us with a locked down, dark house and a bunch of crazed rich people. Unfortunately for this reviewer, the movie was rather boring, a bit stupid, and lacked a lot of suspense until near the end when the action unfolded and the moral filled dialogue took a back seat. So to my surprise, the announcement of a sequel was quite shocking, and I wondered just what was in store.

From the trailers, The Purge Anarchy showed some more bite than it's predecessor, as this time the danger was taken out of the isolated home and on to the wild streets of the most deadly night of the year. Did it deliver? Yes for the most part, as the Purge opens with three stories each from a different perspective of this night of terror: the hunted, the innocent, and the purger. In a random, and conveniently timed manner, their stories link up, as they become a band of mice escaping the various nut jobs out on the street. Within the first twenty minutes or so, the movie has much more suspense than what we saw, as the group of characters begins to partake in the most dangerous game of survival. Each of the cast is "unique" in their own way, with the Sergeant (Frank Grillo) being the cold, withdrawn elite who leads the other four weaklings through the darkness. The rest of the cast does a nice job of portraying various states of mind in a situation, yet their characters for the most part are annoying. In particular is Cali (Zoë Soul) who is the active and verbal moral speaker of the group sharing her opinions every step of the way, and overstepping her boundaries. While I appreciate the morals she is presenting and strongly believe in them, her little attitude was very annoying and I waited for some event to put her in her place. Yet it never really came. The other characters in the small party evolved over the night, developing backbones and courage to fight back in the night and not be pathetic. Cali though, stayed stubbornly naïve and annoying.

Okay let's move past the characters and get to the rest of the movie. Anarchy's story is a continuation of the Purge's simplistic plot, adding more insight into the government that blessed this event. While a few of the plot elements are rather lackluster and emotionally deprived, they have set up a common enemy to unite against instead of random crazy strangers. The mystery behind a few of the factions is well timed, dragged on just long enough to keep you wondering, but not so long that you stop caring, helped by the less than 2 hour running time. One continues to ask why this small band of people are wanted by so many, keeping the suspense and thrills up. What also helps is that our cast is not the usual pathetic weaklings we see in horror films, but actually have skills that allow them to survive. The Sergeant in particular uses street smarts, hunter's intuition, and gun wielding to fight off those that choose to purge, leading to sporadic action scenes that liven up the film. Navigating the diverse nightmarish city also keeps things exciting as the band is forced to take detours and migrate from as the hunter's traps and tricks come to life. Some of these obstacles attempt to scare you with predictable tactics we've seen time and time again. However, most of these jumping scenes quickly change into a struggle of dominance, often leading to a pileup of victims as the hours progress. While most of the victims often erupt into a shower of bloody ruptures, the kills aren't quite as graphic or torturous as what we've seen in the past. The thing that really gets overused is the F word, which seems to be the most popular sentence filler these days, as every bout of dialogue leads to a heated use of the word. Perhaps the other adult aspect of this movie is the how soulless and twisted society has become in this movie, where emotional scandals and pent up anger is unhealthily released in sinful actions. Now older audience members are going to laugh at half of the motives, and some of the cheesy lines associated with it. Younger audience members though, may fall victim to the suggestions of this movie, so please reconsider taking them to the theater.

The Purge Anarchy is a much better movie than I had expected, and improved miraculously from the first installment. With improved action, a better setting, and some dynamic characters, this series shows promise for the inevitable sequel that is to come. Yes there are still some overstretches, particularly in the blood, dialogue, and story, but I a film series like this one begins to expect that. Fans of the series or those looking for a decent suspense thriller should check it out; otherwise take five on this weekend. My scores for the Purge Anarchy are as followed:

Action/Horror/Thriller: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6.5

A Sequel That Reaches Its Full Potential . Great Action Thriller

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 29 March 2015]

I almost didn't bother with this sequel . The first movie was close but no cigar down to rather lazy and ill thought plotting and since this movie was also written and directed by James DeMonaco we'd be getting more of the same except this time with an inferior and unknown cast . That said one thing that really intrigued me was the large shift in positive votes . The first movie had an average vote of 5.6 while its sequel had an average vote of 6.5 along with many of the comments stating just how different it was from the original film , a film which incidentally could hardly have been called original itself

The only real criticism I can level at TPA is that it's rather derivative and owes a lot to Anabasis by Xenophon , a very old story that Walter Hill made a career out of reworking and which recent Brit thriller '71 made use of . A good story never grows old whether you're a Greek army trapped behind enemy lines in 400 BC or a young couple trapped in a city centre where the laws of the jungle are about to be enforced the dilemmas facing the protagonists remain the same

I had to double check a couple of times to check if there were two different writer/directors called James DeMonaco because I had hard task to believe the film maker who wasted so much potential in the first movie was the same one who crafted this heart stopping thriller . Everything wrong with THE PURGE is corrected here . Gone are the idiotic choices characters make and in their place are simple acts of misfortunes . Okay some bits seem a little contrived such as cars breaking down at the most inopportune moment but it's the same sort of cinematic convention you see in every /any thriller or horror movie . The characters are unlucky rather than out and out dumb and boy does misfortune have it in for these characters that you actually get to care about

Another massive improvement is that you can almost believe this scenario might take place one day . I say almost because it's something of a stretch thinking Pat Robertson might be American president but this would be his ideal Utopian view of America and TPA does play up to all the more extreme elements of an outsiders view of America , gun culture , red necks ,the radical Christian right , rabid nationalism and corporate greed where money can buy you absolutely anything , all summed up by a very effective montage sequence at the closing credits . The politics of the film are not subtle but are superbly well done . There's perhaps a danger of taking it all this too seriously but TPA does deserve some credit for bringing this to our attention and wears its heart on its sleeve as to what's wrong at the heart of America

And so ends one of these very rare films - a sequel that surpasses the original and by a wide margin too . Okay let's be honest and confess THE PURGE was no great shakes but TPA is one the most effective and thought provoking thrillers I've seen Hollywood produce in a very long time and after seeing THE PURGE I thought I'd never say this but I am really looking forward to THE PURGE 3 when it's released next year

Superior sequel

[TheMarwood · 6/10 · 12 October 2014]

The first film was a generic home invasion flick with a gimmick that reduced the 'all crime is legal for 12 hours' concept to essentially a narrative countdown clock device - a family must survive for such and such more time and the film wasted a decent premise. The Purge:Anarchy rights the wrongs of its predecessor and delivers on the high concept. The characters are thinly written, but played with adequate skill by the actors and a more than decent performance by Frank Grillo as the lead. The satire is about as subtle as a round of bullets to the chest and the film never feels comfortable during the few moments the story calms down to spend time developing the characters, but this was made for visceral thrills and B grade enjoyment. The mayhem is relentless and while the low budget certainly reduced the amount of arson to a few fleeting glimpses, the violent set pieces are staged with enough wit to make this sequel a nice surprise.

One of those rare sequels that are better than its predecessor

[estebangonzalez10 · 5/10 · 6 November 2014]

"The unwritten Purge rule: don't save lives. Tonight we take lives. We make things manageable."

James DeMonaco returns as the director and writer of the sequel to his 2013 film, The Purge. My expectations for this sequel were extremely low because I didn't like The Purge and thought the premise was ridiculous, but if you enjoyed the first film then you will definitely like this one. I'd like to begin my review by focusing on what did work for this sequel before I get to its weaknesses. First of all, The Purge: Anarchy is a huge improvement over its predecessor. While the first film followed the conventions of a home invasion horror film, this sequel takes the original premise and establishes the action in a much wider setting. It doesn't set out to repeat the same things from its predecessor. This sequel takes us to the streets where we can see how the purge takes place out in the open where the danger is eminent. Considering that the characters were the least interesting part of The Purge, this time the story doesn't center on one family, but gives us three different story lines and later brings them together. This makes up for the lack of character development in the film and allows for the movie to be more entertaining. It is a B picture that gives its target audience what they are looking for. The second positive thing this sequel has going for it is the lead performance from Frank Grillo. He delivers as a smooth action star despite the weaknesses of the screenplay. He is the only engaging character in the entire franchise.

Despite that The Purge Anarchy is much better than its predecessor, it still is a flawed film full of horror clichés and unimaginative characters. The film relies on jump scares that never work. All it seemed to be doing at times was suddenly turning up the volume when things were quiet in order to shock or unsettle its audience. The characters never seem to make smart decisions and they all rely on Grillo's lead performance. With all the horrible crimes he drives through during his purge mission, we never quite understand why he would care for these two particular characters he stops for in order to save them. It was simply an easy way to reunite the different story lines, but I didn't find anything unique in that mother and daughter relationship that he would be interested in assisting. Its not like he was painted as a saint during the opening scenes where he drove past several people crying out for help. The sequel also tries to be an interesting parody of our society and a slick social commentary, but it isn't really as smart as it thinks it is. Every time I heard the phrase our "new founding fathers" my ears bled and I couldn't help but finding it silly. The film also is heavy handed on its rich versus poor commentary, and it is something we see often in adaptations from YA books. The villains never post a significant threat either, but Grillo elevates the source material with his smooth performance. The rest of the characters I couldn't really care less for.

A worthy sequel

[UniqueParticle · 8/10 · 4 July 2020]

Much better could ever expect! Originally saw in the theater I just wasn't reviewing then, happily enjoying this glorious action/thriller with lots of great madness and creepy gestures. James DeManco's Purge films might not be appreciated much but Anarchy, Election Year and his writing for The Negotiator is so damn good! Such a great concept that is perfectly executed in this adaptation.

Better than its predecessor

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 31 January 2017]

The good thing about THE PURGE: ANARCHY is that it's a step up in terms of quality from its predecessor; the first film was just another home invasion thriller, one quite well made but let down by its own predictability. ANARCHY is still predictable, but the chase/journey narrative structure means that it's a faster-paced production as a whole, one that never becomes boring.

The film's protagonist is played by Frank Grillo, a guy who never impressed me in support in the past but who does a fine job as a tough guy here. He reminded me a lot of The Punisher in terms of his dark appearance and tough-guy presence. The supporting cast are less interesting, and some of the female characters are still annoyingly weak and given to screaming at every little thing.

Still, the journey through dark and violent streets is an often exciting one and there's a wealth of gritty action to enjoy. Often the action is a little too CGI-enhanced for my liking, but at least the film never slows down, building to an appropriately thrilling climax. Watch out for Michael Kenneth Williams in another weird cameo. ANARCHY manages to be creepy enough in the early scenes and exciting enough in the later ones to be an effective Hollywood thriller.

Not so bad that you can't enjoy it.

[scott-volentine · 3/10 · 5 September 2014]

The movie had my ribs aching from laughter. Picture this, a group is trapped in a tunnel and a little buggy starts chasing after them, clowns with blowtorches hanging off it. So the group is running away, but one of them is like "we can't make it." so he pulls out his gun and drops behind a wall and the other is cowering as he shoots at the buggy but then he gets shot so the other person is like "ohmagod what do i do?" and he's like "keep shooting!" So then the buggy driver is dead and it blows up in a fireball.

Literally a cartoon. It's like the video game Borderlands, it's fun shooting up the place, but the writing is paper-thin and amateurish. But the counter-argument is that it's just a formulaic "horror" movie (though it isn't) and people come to watch it for the formula and not the writing.

It just doesn't sit well with me. There's this rebel leader who seems to address the nation on the television, hacking into the government communications, but this character's entire purpose is only to be a handmaiden to the plot. He would talk abstractly as if there was depth to the world of the movie, but in this movie nothing exists beyond exactly what is on the screen.

But fortunately, the movie doesn't have the talent to mean anything, so people who enjoy it will enjoy it for the fun and nobody will feel the need to talk about how stupid and impossible the whole idea is.

So this is one of those movies that's so bad that it can be entertaining.

Say yes to Frank Grillo

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 20 July 2021]

As far as purges go, this was a fairly well developed storyline with decent acting. There was some forced dialogue and odd plot points, but on the whole a good movie. Frank Grillo killed it, he could save me any day.

Cathartic Sequel to a Cathartic Movie About Catharsis

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 5 March 2015]

The Totally Ludicrous Conceit of The Purge...One Night of Bloodletting will Cleanse the Populace of Useless Eaters and At the Same Time be a Catharsis for the General Population to Purge its Primitive Need for Violence, is Once Again Unleashed on Moviegoers.

The Original Movie was Confined to a Single Dwelling and was a Home Invasion Horror Movie. This One Expands to the Outdoors of the City with Freeways, Subways, and there's No Way You Can Hide from the Purgers. Especially If You Car Breaks Down as Society Breaks Down, and Haven't Availed Yourself of Your Second Amendment Rights.

Not Everyone Partakes in the Purge. Some Prefer to Hunker Down and Ride Out the Storm, Barricading Themselves Eating Some Popcorn and Watching it All on Television. In This World it Seems that the Ultra-Rich and the Ultra-Poor are the Ones Who Play, eh, Purge.

This is a Class War Study and the Heavy Handed Story is Made Entertaining, and Yes Cathartic, Watching This Wish While Saying All Along..."It's only a Movie". But at its Core it's Deeper Than That, and while Most of it is Cartoonish, it Manages at Times to be Scary.

No, Not the Loud Soundtrack Jump Scare Clichés, its the Real Life Exploitation of the 99% by the 1% that Permeates the Picture and is Ironically More In Tune and Scarifying About What is Really Going On.

The Elite May Not Literally be Killing the Less Fortunate with Guns, Bullets, and Knives, In Reality, They Kill in a Much More Subtle Way. Just Turn on the News for the Evidence, Like the Non-Purgers in This Movie and Pop the Corn, Kick Back, and Watch it Happen. Feel Safe?

Ticks every generic box

[bowmanblue · 6/10 · 16 February 2015]

I'm writing this review straight after seeing 'The Purge 2: Anarchy' simply because I'm guessing I probably won't remember it in a couple of days time (and, if I ever completely forget, at least I can read my own review to remind myself that I probably don't need to watch it a second time). Okay, so that may sound like I hated it. I didn't. Then again, I can't really think of anything positive to say about it either. It's one of those films that left me with no real lasting impressions, good or bad.

If you watched the first 'Purge' film, you'll know that crime has pretty much been eradicated in the America of the near future. How has this been achieved you may ask? By allowing all citizens to (legally) commit any form of crime they like for a short period of time (I think it's just the night, but it might have been as long as twenty-four hours). During this time you're free to murder, steal and assault anyone you please and the police and other emergency services are 'off duty' and therefore won't stand in your way. The reason behind this is – apparently – to allow man's primitive urges to be released, hence stopping them from doing it for the rest of the year. And, if you can try not to think too deeply about that (as you'll probably come up with plenty of plot holes in that kind of society) you'll probably at least be able to sit through the film.

The only problem is... find yourself out on the streets during this time and you're really in trouble. And that's exactly what happens to our five unwitting heroes. So, a small group of people must survive the night against gangs of normally sane and rational people, all hell-bent on murdering for the sake of it.

Unfortunately, I didn't really think much in the way of the characters. They're all pretty generic. They run, they scream. Sometimes they fight back and there are a few reasonably well-shot shoot outs and chases. That's about it really.

It's an action movie. It has chases in. It tries to make itself stand out with various social commentary on mankind's primitive desires and so forth, but, ultimately, if you've seen any film that's centred around people trying to survive something (anything!) then you've kind of seen this before. It's not so bad. It's not horrible. Like I said, I can't really think of anything really negative to say about it, other than there's just nothing new here that warrants a second viewing.

Allegoric oppression

[chaos-rampant · 15 October 2014]

There are two mindsets at war here trying to purge each other. One wants to revel in the anarchic horror it creates, the story is that for one night each year murder is legal across America, instincts come out to play. It's the same instinct that brings us in front of the screen for this, the desire to see ordered life go to pieces, safeties assailed, conventions dismantled.

Would we watch this if it was about people quietly huddling in their homes until they night was over? No we want to be out there, seeing people purge from the safe distance of fiction, seeing the inanity of the violence, it's the whole reason we come. And along the way, having drawn this violent self out, endless opportunity to show how this self already creeps in the fabric of normal life and waits for this one night; a lecherous neighbor, a wife who finds out she's being cheated on.

It's a potent idea, you can already tell it's going to be a recurring event each summer.

The other mindset is that seriously political things must be said through all this. We can't be just allowed to watch and arrive at conclusions, we have to be bluntly purged of thinking for ourselves. The 'purge' is organized by an oppressive government. It has to be assisted by government troops, the people just don't kill enough. It's all so hamfisted on this end - the rich literally buy the poor as fodder for their game show.

Did we have the slightest bit of trouble understanding for ourselves in the first Dawn of the Dead the desensitized world, the egos and pecking orders? The havoc was organic, swarmed out of nowhere like instincts do. Here it's all the rich guys' fault to get rid of the poor. It's the same Hunger Games mentality at play, a corporate one, where 'sponsors' lure an audience promising spectacle only to constantly remind it's all so decadent and oppressive.

So it devolves from the horror of what people can do to the horror of what an evil government orchestrates, leaving us witless consumers of a message. It's as oppressive to watch as what it warns against. The Warriors was as removed from actual life but then again it was never more than opera.

In the end it all comes down to action kicking and punching rich guys to escape from their maze.

Re Purge

[videodrome1234 · 6/10 · 23 August 2014]

In 2013 Purge despite the fact that it had flaws was totally a watchable film. I would even go so far as saying that I liked it. For one because of its theme, the basic concept is really good and they got good actors too. Even if it was called a horror I don't consider it on, maybe just a heavier thriller-drama? A survivalist film. The film wasn't brutal it just the topic that was that. It was also made with small change, which it made back in seconds so there was going to be a sequel of course. There was nothing concrete when the producers were already hyping it up. At this point it has to be said that the story is totally built to be continued. Then they went about convincing the 1st movies director to tackle the 2nd one and they gave him a pretty short window to get it done that they couldn't keep to in the end, but now finally the film is here. And am I happy? Good question. The 1st film didn't exactly change the world, but it was entertaining. If that's all it was then I'm not sure that it should have a sequel. I would say no. But hey it wouldn't be hard to make it better than the 1st one. The story: A couple are driving home to their kids when their car runs out of gas just as the Purge commences. Meanwhile, Leo goes out into the streets to get revenge on the man who killed his son, and a mother and daughter run from their home after assailants destroy it. The five people meet up as they attempt to survive the night in Los Angeles. Let's assume that we liked the 1st one, okay there aren't too many who did, 'cause it got such bad press, but let's just stick with that for now cause people did go see it, so then if it was liked and the director is the same then what's different to look forward to? One thing it doesn't play out in a big house but out in the open. Is this a big change? Well not really. What really is a big change is that it's ½ an hour longer. That wouldn't be a problem per se but the shorter running time helped the 1st one, less time for stupidity and plot holes, so here all these come out. The film is more drawn out when there isn't half as much action than before and just more annoying faults. There are more violent scenes, but what extra that gave it, didn't end up doing it any good. And they didn't get any bigger names to act in it, so pretty much idiot actors got the roles of idiot characters, excluding a few. Somehow the whole film seems to lack concept. Apart from the idea that it should play out on the street now that was kind of all they thought up. Maybe if someone really really liked the 1st one they won't be too disappointed. All in all The Purge : Anarchy is kind of a pointless sequel and definitely in the way it was made. It was just an average part 2 with the typical "let's just make it bigger" idea used. Here bigger meant longer running time and more idiot logic lacking scenes. Since I would have given the 1st part a 6/10 I can only give the 2nd a 3/10 https://www.youtube.com/user/Videodromeblog

Far more thoughtful and realistic - disturbing and scary

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 8/10 · 5 September 2014]

In The Purge Anarchy the new founding fathers sanction another murderous cleanse.

The Purge Anarchy revisits the gruesome dystopia in the not so distant future where for twelve hours all sanctioned crime is legal and all rescue services are suspended. The nation is reborn, unemployment and crime are at record lows, all because of the annual night for decriminalized murder to unleash pent up American rage.

Five virtual strangers join together to survive when, after several unrelated but harrowing events, all find themselves on the street and in jeopardy on purge night. There is no security system, minimal defense and there is little hope.

Despite being marketed as a horror film The Purge Anarchy feels more like a thriller. The potential for a despicable act of inhumanity is imminent and occurs frequently throughout the film. Yet, its display is the antithesis of a masturbatory gore fest relishing in the suffering, evocative of torture-porn. Instead, the brutality is appropriately out of focus in the background, almost as an afterthought, consistent with the desensitized society.

The approach of James DeMonaco's direction is on point with the message of the film. He creates a disconcerting feeling with a deserted cityscape, seemingly lit at night by flickering yellow streetlights casting shrouded shadows. Certain scenes are realistically and deliberately shaky and imperfect to draw the audience into the character's peril.

One can not talk about a second installment to a franchise without returning to its predecessor, in this case The Purge. Acclaimed as a novel premise and potentially unsettling look into the primal aspect of human nature, it left something to be desired. The story had so many places it could go that were raw and savage; yet, The Purge was slightly simplistic and flawed but still enjoyable. Once again James DeMonaco took the helm as writer and director of The Purge's sequel Anarchy. This time DeMonaco's execution was able to address criticisms by delving further into concept, but from a different perspective: the working class. In doing so we see a harsher existence, far less idealistic and a more depraved purge night.

The difference between The Purge and The Purge Anarchy is that the active tormenters for this purge are not all unhinged closeted maniacs hiding behind masks. Anarchy takes the end of The Purge and goes more in-depth. Those participating are frustrated and exhausted but ultimately they are people. Most terrifyingly it proposes a hypothetical and disturbingly feasible purge experience for the upper class. The nefarious top 10% obligingly exercise their civic responsibility and now government granted right in style and comfort. The Purge Anarchy is a commentary on society and social inequality in the most gruesome of circumstances.

The film's ability to play into our inner fears, that deep within anyone there is a darkness capable of unspeakable evil, is pivotal to its success. While I wish The Purge Anarchy hadn't tried to tidy the story up and resolve everything I did find it far more realistic and thought provoking than the former.

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The Purge: Anarchy indeed release the beast. It was pretty entertaining.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 31 July 2014]

The Purge: Anarchy is way better than its predecessor, 2013's The Purge, but it's still an outrageous concept that takes itself too serious. It was alright watch for the most part. Honestly, the movie directed and written by James DeMonaco, has potential, for more, if the movie tries to be a dark satire, but it fails because it takes its ridiculous premise too seriously. Like my previous review on the Purge, the sequel movie does also a poor attempt to explain why the Purge works. It's kinda explains that the Purge is there to eraser the poor, but it never explain how killing the poor, make the economy, great. The upper rich are stereotype cartoony villainous. I doubt that the rich is that willing to kill, the people that drive their business, going. There is nothing to gain. Honestly, if people had the right to purge, I think the rich would be more of a target, than the poor, anyways. If unemployment is 1%, how many poor people are there, anyways?? The movie doesn't explain how the country went from bankruptcy to prosperity through violence through Social Darwinism. I guess, we can say, the government of the new founder fathers were lying, about the purge working, but it doesn't explain why people would wait to vent their negative emotions for one day that crime is all legal, and emergency service are suspended. Anger, Lust, and Greed is an impulse reaction that some human cannot control. People will act upon it, no matter if it's the day of the purge or not. It's all crime with passion. It doesn't explain, how crazy people with mental instability, are able to wait for the Purge to commit crimes. It doesn't make sense. Murder, Rape, and Stealing will happen, any day. There always going to be rule-breakers and people that act on impulse. This can't stop crime. I'm glad this movie got away from the normal home invasion of the first movie, and went into the lawlessness anarchy of the streets. Indeed, this movie got a bigger budget, and it shows with the action. The movie has more of it. One thing, the movie does better is not to have all the action in the dark. It's more like an action movie thriller than a horror movie. The movie indeed had more interesting characters. Frank Grillo as a Sergeant Leo Barnes is a badass. My favorite part in the movie is him, yelling at the old woman. He has a lot of good-one liners. I hope to see him in more action movie, besides this as the lead. This guy is going places. The female leads of Carmen Ejogo as Eva Sanchez and Zoë Soul as her daughter, Cali, are a big annoying, but for the most part, works as the moral compass character arch preacher. Still, there were a bit too many characters in this film. I think the couple, Shane (Zach Gilford) & Liz (Kiele Sanchez) were pretty weak characters. Honestly, they could had be cut out from the film. It was nice to see Edwin Hodge reprises his role of Dwayne from the first movie. I'm also glad, there wasn't a lot of over the top overacting like Rhys Wakefield's Polite Leader from the first movie. The ending is a bit anti-climax for a movie call, the Purge: Anarchy. I really thought, the government will be overthrown or something by the end. It didn't happen. I know the movie, explain the rules of the Purge, like not using high tech weapons like dirty nuke bombs, chemical weapons, and Biochemistry warfare, but you would think that somebody would say, screw the rules, it's the purge, go crazy, and attack the government that made this dumb law. If you going to make a movie about anarchists, at less, have them fight more against the fascist government. Honestly, I think the movie play it a little too safe. It could had dealt with more controversial issues like terrorism, school-shootings, and others. Still, the movie did had some type of a society commentary. The movie is clearly influence by the 1967 episode of Star Trek call 'Return of the Archons' with a similar plot, in which an otherwise placid society is allowed pre-scheduled 12-hour periods of lawlessness and violence. This movie was also influence by works like Koushun Takami's Battle Royale, Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games and John Carpenter's Escape from New York. It was pretty entertaining shoot it up movie. Remind me of Grand Theft Auto: Free Range mixed with the politics of Bio-Shock. Due to the movie success, a third movie will probably be made. I'll be looking forward to that. Overall: If you don't nitpick the weird concept too much, you might find this movie worth the time, watching. It's a good watch.

about the stupid girl

[am-16813 · 1/10 · 13 July 2021]

The stupid young girl in the movie talks way too much. She makes stupid unreasonable questions and she's very useless.

Can't even shut the hell up and keep quiet.

Bet her parents are disappointed in her.

Surviving purge night ain't gonna be easy

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 9 June 2021]

Two couples must depend on the hard-bitten Sergeant (ably played to the two-fisted hilt by Frank Grillo) when they find themselves out on the streets on purge night.

Writer/director James DeMonaco keeps the riveting story hurtling along at a breathless brisk pace, generates a tremendous amount of nerve-wracking tension, maintains an appropriately tough'n'gritty tone throughout, and stages the thrilling action with rip-roaring aplomb. Moreover, DeMonaco's barbed script takes some nice digs at the decadent rich as well as offers several touching moments of genuine humanity amid all the expected brutal violence and carnage.

The solid acting by the capable cast keeps this movie humming: Carmen Ejogo as the sweet Eva, Zach Gilford as decent dude Shane, Kiele Sanchez as Zach's fed-up wife Liz, Zoe Soul as feisty teen Cali, Justina Machado as wild party girl Tanya, Jack Conley as the ruthless Big Daddy, John Beasley as the ailing Papa Rico, Noel Gugliemi as the vicious Diego, and Michael J. Williams as angry revolutionary Carmelo. The assorted purge gangs with their freaky masks and deadly weapons are truly terrifying. An on the money movie.

actors are smaller but the scale is bigger

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 8 March 2015]

It's 2023 hours before the Purge. Waitress Eva Sanchez plans to spend the Purge hiding in her working class apartment with her daughter Cali and father Papa Rico. He leaves a message telling them that he is sick and sold himself to be Purged by a rich family. Then a paramilitary force takes over their building. Meanwhile couple Shane and Liz are trapped when a masked gang sabotage their car leaving them stranded right before the purge. The two groups are rescued by LAPD sergeant Leo Barnes who is on a mission to Purge of his own.

This one takes the franchise out into the streets. The expanded scope improves it in many respects. The actors are smaller but the scale is bigger. Cali keeps talking loudly which is very annoying. She's the annoying brat character. I would be a lot happier if she shuts up. I like some of the turns. There is a social commentary component that is somewhat interesting. The morality question is raised but it's all very murky. There is still a lot of room for improvements.

Do the average Americans dream of storms of steel?

[embedrei · 1/10 · 4 August 2014]

Murder is legal during the night of the "Purge". Most serial killers are law abiding citizens, just pathetic wannabes. Thanks to the "Purge" they can finally live their dream and kill, kill, kill. But there are like-minded souls roaming the streets and a better armed group or a sneaky sniper can stop the nicest killing spree. This is total war, like Verdun, and even the toughest soldiers hated Verdun. So actually only total nut-cases with a death wish would participate in the "Purge". Additionally, killing someone you know will make you the prime target of his friends and relatives, it's not "purging", it's stirring things up.

The first "Purge"-movie was just a run-of-the-mill home-invasion thriller with a strange background story. The second installment is supposed to flesh out the original concept, except it doesn't, because, well, it really is a very stupid idea. There are a few psychopaths killing the homeless and each other. But the main "Purge" participants are: a) Soldiers, sent by the white, Christian fundamentalist government to raise the disappointing "Purge" death toll. b) Mercenaries kidnapping random people, so rich, Christian fundamentalist whites can kill them in a save setting. c) Black revolutionaries that fight both groups and save their brothers & sisters. If the main character would have been black, constantly spouting ethnic slurs against whites, it would have been just like the blaxploitation movies from the 1970s. This will doubtlessly happen in part 3, when the revolutionary leader "The Stranger" will turn into a "Shaft"-like savior.

Why do people like this hateful and hypocritical trash? Is it a splendid satire on social trends happening in today's USA? Au contraire. If the really rich would want to get rid of the poor, they would start with ending the illegal mass immigration. But instead - of course - they do promote it. No administration likes heavily armed citizens. They want control, not anarchy, no "Guns are out new gods"-nonsense. Crime is great. If you treat it in a very liberal way, it will flourish until the people will demand all the right things: the abolition of cash, a snoopier and more intrusive police, stricter gun control laws (for non-criminals) ...

Is it "thought-provoking"? Yes, everything that annoying is.

Is it a "gripping suspense thriller"? If you manage to evade the provoked thoughts, you might enjoy the ride. I actually considered part 1 to be a silly, but quite suspenseful "Assault on Precinct 13"-version. Due to the sheer amount of stupidity in part 2, this time around I wasn't quite up to the challenge, it didn't amuse me at all.

250 years ago a prejudice purported that somebody without god would just pillage and murder. As it turned out, there is no such correlation. The "Purge" says that without governmental control and persecution people would just pillage and murder. Again: not true. Except for those few poor souls who aren't, we, the people, are much better than that.

Better Than the Original

[Michael_Elliott · 21 July 2014]

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

** (out of 4)

A mysterious man (Frank Grillo) comes to the aid of a husband-wife and mother-daughter who find themselves in the streets with the annual purge begins. The man agrees to take the four to safety but there's something that has him out for his own gain. THE PURGE: ANARCHY is certainly better than the first film but when all is said and done, that really doesn't mean too much. As with the first film, this sequel has some interesting ideas but sadly the screenplay by writer-director James DeMonaco just has too many unanswered questions and in fact I'd say the entire film is rather sloppy. It seems there's never any clear idea of what anyone is trying to do. At times we're just treated to graphic violence. At other times there's a political commentary going on and I think this is where the film just gets a bit too laughable. In fact, the rich vs. poor angle just doesn't work at all and in fact it had me rolling my eyes several times. Another problem is that we really don't care about any of the five characters so there's never any tension to whether they live or die. If you can't connect with the characters then there's really no point to anything we're watching. This film pretty much turns out to be a knock off of a DEATH WISH type of film but I'll at least give it some credit for trying something a tad bit different than the original movie. The producers simply could have given us a remake of the first but instead they did do something different. The performances are decent for the most part but Grillo's "silent" performance can't match someone like Bronson. Still, THE PURGE: ANARCHY certainly isn't the worst movie out there but perhaps the third time will be the charm.