The Purge: Election Year

Starring: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson, J.J. Soria, Betty Gabriel, Terry Serpico, Edwin Hodge
Directed by: James DeMonaco
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Barnes (Frank Grillo) is now working as the head of security for a Senator (Elizabeth Mitchell) vocally attacking the Purge. When her political competition decides to murder her during the Purge, Barnes must fight to keep her alive.

Review:

Tim: This is such an interesting, strange trilogy of films. The Purge had interesting ideas, but didn't execute them well. The Purge: Anarchy broadened the scope of the film and significantly improved the quality over the original. The Purge: Election Year continues the ambitious widening of the scope, and isn't as good as Anarchy, but gets pretty close. It's fascinating to watch the evolution of these films.

The character of Leo Barnes and especially the portrayal of him by Frank Grillo is a big reason the second film improved so significantly from the first. He was a cool character, mysterious, tough- someone you could root for and care about in the midst of senseless Purge killing. I thoroughly enjoyed Grillo in the second film, so I was ecstatic to see him return here. His character has undergone a few changes since we last saw him (not all of which are especially believable, but I can go with it). Making the film about this entertaining character makes us a huge difference, and once again, Grillo is a big reason why this movie works. He's just fun to watch in these films. This time, he's helped by Elizabeth Mitchell, a wonderful addition to the cast. I've been a fan of Mitchell since her "Lost" days, so I always perk up when she's in a film. I enjoyed the interactions between Mitchell and Grillo- the two of them make a good team and it was fun watching them together. I also enjoyed seeing Mykelti Williamson in a fun supporting role. This movie might not have any big names, but they cast solid actors in the most important roles.

I also like the expanded scope of the film (maybe not the execution of it, entirely, but certainly the ambitious attempt). The first film was a home invasion movie. The second film took us out on the streets for a deadly urban survival story. This film moves into the governmental realm, to examine what politics looks like in a country with the Purge. It was fascinating to watch the bigger picture unfold. I've enjoyed that director James DeMonaco has upped the ante for each film in the franchise.

So, with the best character in the franchise returning, solid supporting characters, a more ambitious scope, and plenty of intense, nerve-racking moments, The Purge: Election Year has a lot of elements that make this film worth seeing. Now, I do think the story was a little too forgettable. There's memorable moments- the girls purging at the corner store, the climactic battle, etc. However, the story, the point of it all, that was slightly weaker. It's not terrible, but the movie isn't as memorable as Anarchy.

I'm not sure where the franchise goes from each. These movies cost so little to make, and each film has made more money at the box office than the previous one. I hope these movies continue. It'll be interesting to see if DeMonaco can continue to increase his scope for each film, or if we see a plateauing or diminishing. I'd guess that at some point, we start to see a reduction in quality. This one isn't as good as the last one, but the difference is minimal. I've continually been surprised by this franchise and Election Year was entertaining, so I'm certainly hoping to see this continue.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy, Funny Games, Panic Room