“The Purge: Anarchy”
Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Engojo, Zoë Soul
B
The intent of this film is lofty, considering dystopia is an in-vogue subgenre right now and has generated a lot of competitors as a result. Many definitely do it with better execution.
But taking the dystopia out of sci-fi, fantasy or adventure and putting it into a horror-thriller gives the dystopia some different elements to utilize, particularly tension and dread specific to this variety of film.
Director James DeMonaco works to counter the main shortcomings of the first movie. “The Purge” took an enthralling premise but turned it into a home-intrusion thriller focused on one family’s struggle to survive the night.
“The Purge: Anarchy” starts out with three parties who are later thrown together during the annual purge. The stoic and nameless purger with a vendetta played by Zach Grillo has his murderous plans disrupted when he rescues Eva (Carmen Engojo) and Cali (Zoë Soul) on purpose and Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) by accident.
This grouping solves two of the first film’s biggest issues in one motion. Making it about a collection of people is better for engaging with the themes introduced by the premise and also provides more vantage points to explore those themes.
From there, the franchise takes this inventive premise and runs with it in ways it never could with its previous protagonists. This film actually takes the dystopia and asks, “If this is true, then what else is?” The gritty intricacies of this world are then brought to harsh, grimy light.
This edition kept to the same conceit; every March 22 from sundown till dawn, laws are put aside and those who so desire let off steam by committing whatever horrendous acts they’ve been fantasizing about since the prior purge. Those who choose to sit out on the bloodbath do their best to stay alive. They cover windows, bolt doors and arm themselves in case they need to kill out of self-defense.
Non-participating civilians bid each other, “Stay safe” in the same way a person wishes, “Merry Christmas” while the rich families hold hands to say prayers of thanks to the New Founding Fathers before beginning their slaughters. The paradox is that the chaos is still a fertile environment for social hierarchy and even commerce.
There was the occasional line or cinematographic choice that fringed unintentional camp, and some of the characters lacked development.
However, I still felt immersed in the horrifying night of the trembling heroes and their terse protector. Even in the midst of the injustice facing the protagonists’ persecution, we are still exposed to the nameless others who suffer during the Purge.
This is where the film may find translation with the right audience. This sadistic, national holiday captures an exaggeration in a single night of what our society pressures us to do in less explicit ways every day.
