‘The Purge: Anarchy’ Review

By Carlos Aguilar.

A year ago, the concept of the United States becoming a lawless country for a period of 12 hours once a year was introduced to us via a wealthy family, which was victimized for trying to do the right thing. In this new recharged and seemingly more layered iteration, at least in terms of subplots, there are also people trying to do good in the face of a bleak landscape. As with the first one, the concept is perversely thought-provoking on the surface, but the absurd unanswered questions that weren’t as pronounced before come to light in “The Purge: Anarchy” making them too visible to ignore.

Question #1: How does one night of murder and chaos prevent people from doing anything bad the rest of the year? Seriously, how? Are punishments stricter to prevent people from doing anything wrong? Question #2: If this a utopia and there are so few people below the poverty line, why doesn’t anything in the film reflect this? Lastly, doesn’t it cost too much money to rebuilt cities across the country every year just so please can cleanse their souls? Perhaps I just simply need a little more background information on the mechanics of such sadistic world in order to make sense of all this.
Now, once you have relinquished any wish to fully comprehend how this concept could logically be carried out, then the entertaining part of it can begin. Despite all the issues with the screenplay itself, the film is often intense enough in its depiction of violence to make one forget about all of them.

With three storylines coming together in the vast landscape of Downtown Los Angeles, the possibilities for brutality grow exponentially. First there is Sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), a tough guy who is on a mission to take revenge before the sun comes up. He is equipped like mercenary, physically skilled, and fearless. Then there is a young Caucasian couple, Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanzhez), whose car breaks down minutes before the commencement of the “festivities” leaving them stranded in the city at the mercy of those purging. Finally, a young mother Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her ballsy teenager daughter Cali (Zoe Soul) who belonged to the undesired segment of the population: the poor.

Luckily for the latter four, they cross paths with Frank, who in spite of his goal for the night is actually one of the good guys. He promises to take care of them if they can get him a car, as his was destroyed while he protected them from a mysterious machine gun killer. From here on, the film proceeds to become a cat-and-mouse chase placing the newly formed team in terrible situations that prove how terrifying total anarchy would be even for a few hours. Speaking of anarchy, an added bonus this time around is the appearance of a resistance group lead by a guy known as Carmelo (Michael K. Williams). They decry the purging ritual as the government’s way to eliminate people without any repercussions.

Grillo as the no-nonsense Sergeant is perhaps a revelation as a new action hero because of his physicality and a face that screams: “I will shoot you if needed but I’m actually a really nice guy if you get to know me.” There is even a little unspoken romance and family building involved, which speak of improved character development in comparison to the first one.

Even with all its action film antics and the simplification of endless social issues, “The Purge: Anarchy” is probably as provocative as any studio film might get this year. Pushing moral conventions to the limit, while still offering a glimpse of hope, the film is an entertaining mess. The scariest moments come from subtle touches -such as the kids wearing creepy masks- rather than the expected carnage.

“The Purge: Anarchy” is in theaters now, nationwide.