The Horror Show
The Purge: Election Year
by James DeMonaco
A lot of people are of the mindset that if you’ve seen one Purge film, you’ve seen them all. Now, while the overall gist of each film is underwhelmingly the same (America is nuts and each year all crime is legal for twelve hours which results in total chaos and absolute terror), each film in itself does offer a different perspective on “The Purge” and how Americans of different classes and races are affected by it.
I have to say that from the moment I laid my eyes on the very first film, The Purge, I was a fan. I don’t know if it had to do with the fact that I am a big Lena Headey and Ethan Hawke fan or that I’m a total horror nut… either way I was sold on it. The first film tells the story from the perspective of the rich and white as they hide themselves away in their fortress from the bloodthirsty purgers outside. A young, black man wanders into the luxurious community and takes shelter in the family’s home. Terror ensues.
I wasn’t as easily sold on the second film, The Purge: Anarchy, as I felt it focused too heavily on politics for my liking. The setting changed and the cast was much larger. We were given a tour of the chaotic city as our characters tried to survive the night, danger at every turn. After watching for a second, and third, time I found that I enjoyed the second film just as much, if not more, than the first. I realized that the point of stressing the political agenda was just something that had always been there, but was easy to overlook and not a centralized focus in the first film. It was also nice seeing the story follow the middle and poverty classes as well as people of color; it was a striking contrast to the first installment.
The Purge: Election Year takes the tone of the second film and continues it while incorporating some basic elements from the first film. This brings me back to the “you’ve seen one Purge film, you’ve seen ‘em all.” My response is no, absolutely not. If you’ve seen one Purge film then you are only exposing yourself to a small fraction of a greater story and a franchise that is both original and entertaining.
Leo, played by Frank Grillo, a fan favorite from the second film, is back in Election Year. This time he’s taken on the position of head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell). Senator Roan is a Purge survivor, and after witnessing the brutal murder of her entire family years ago, she is dead set on becoming the next President and changing the way America thinks and works – no more purging! While Leo works to protect Senator Roan from assassination attempts from the New Founding Fathers, our other group of characters are getting busy on Purge Night. Shop owner, Joe (Mykelti Williamson), gets his Purge Insurance canceled and decides he will spend Purge Night protecting the only thing he has left. Laney Rucker aka Pequeña Muerte (Betty Gabriel), works in a triage van with a friend, hoping to save as many lives as possible on this horrendous night.
I really liked how there were multiple storylines that eventually intertwined like they did in Anarchy. I felt that it added more depth and flavor to the film and this third installment proved itself worthy of The Purge name. While the first film explored upper class suburbia and the second explored inner city troubles, this third one combined both aspects of the first two films while adding a new element to the mix: politicians.
With 2016 being an actual election year, I really found the film to be on point. It was humorous, absurd, enraging, and entertaining, much like our own real-life election year has been. However, I will complain that it was really lacking in the gore department. I understand that there’s only so much “purging” you can show, but nonetheless, I would have enjoyed more emphasis on gore and insanity. There were a few unnecessary scenes that I feel were supposed to come across as “crazy” or “over the top,” but really these scenes were more annoying and boring than anything. (I’m talking about the Glitter Gang, and if you’ve seen the film you know what I’m talking about),
In closing, all I can ask is, what the hell are they going to do next? Without giving too much away, The Purge: Election Year really wrapped things up neatly. Will there be a fourth film? Probably not, I mean, I wouldn’t mind it if one came out, but I think the necessary stories have been told, and honestly, does the world need another Purge? While I’d love to see one, perhaps it would only hurt the franchise…
Whether or not you’re a fan of the previous Purge films, I’d recommend Election Year because honestly, each film can stand on its own as a fresh and capable horror movie, and this third one proves that yet again.
Stevie Kopas, HMS
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