The Purge: Anarchy & Election Year
I decided to put these two together in one post due to one character’s role reprisal.
And of the two, Election Year is by far the better.
To recap what we know about the NFFA’s America:
The Purge is a national holiday held in March that allows any type of crime. including murder, in the United states for 12 hours. But, once the 12 hours are up, life is supposed to go back to normal.
Anarchy starts with Frank Grillo starring as Leo, the only character in the movie franchise to come back in any capacity. He uses the Purge night to try and avenge his dead son, but, runs into other people trying to stay alive.
In Election Year, things get more interesting. The NFFA has a sharp candidate opposition that wants to rid the nation of the dreadful holiday after experiencing a Russian roulette style massacre of her family 18 years prior, leaving her as the only surviving member. Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) is dead-set on making it through that year’s Purge night like any other citizen; in her home but with security. With Leo at the head of her security team, there is a breach from an NFFA infiltration and she goes on the run, trying to survive the night.
What really gets my goat about this movie is the tourism aspect to the holiday. Over the years, the NFFA has allowed international visitors to participate in purging though they do not have American citizenship, just here for funsies and vibes. And murder.
Purgers from Russia, German, insert any super white European country here show up day of and participate as they please. Because it’s their “right” to purge. How great. And if they make it out alive, they’ll come back the next year.
I still can’t grasp my head around the number of people who happily participate in the holiday and then go about the next day. Do they go to work, sit and chat with their coworkers, have lunch, and not acknowledge that they’re actual serial killers???
Hey, good morning, Jeff. Yeah I got my frustrations out all right! One of my best purges yet!
Maybe it’s a commentary on the American lack of empathy and community that would make a holiday like the Purge successful. And by successful I mean increasing the wealth of the wealthy, keeping the conservative regime in power, and keeping the population under control.
It’s not a maybe. It’s pretty obvious. And as for the message, this one hits way harder than the two before. I mean, the first one laid the ground work and Anarchy was an okay filler.
With the ending being one that is kinda positive, it leaves the viewer with some form of hope that change can happen even if evil still has its roots in the system. But I can’t help but feel like something sinister is still in the works, even if it’s underground.
KrashingWaves 
Leave a comment