Movie Review
Siddharth Martis
3 / 5
The Purge: Election Year is a movie written and directed by James DeMonaco. It stars Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Mykelti Williamson.
Sure, the stakes are raised and the juxtaposition between real-life and the film is impeccable, but they both feel hollowed out as the predictability of the story and the lack of any new insights comes to a head rather quickly, making it not as potent as it should be.
Surprisingly enough, this wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Though shallow and anything but subtle, The Purge: Election Year works—it works well. Determined not to be subject to the law of diminishing returns, James DeMonaco redirects the film into campy B-movie territory, therefore enhancing the cheap thrills of the previous installments, while progressing the franchise forward in a gory, almost cheeky, self-aware way that can at times feel like Carpenter’s Escape from New York.
This massive change in direction majorly helps with the watch-ability of the film immensely as does the game and ever so badass, Frank Grillo, who proves himself to be a formidable action star as does his co-star, Elizabeth Mitchell.
It’s been two years since Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from a regrettable act of revenge on Purge Night. Now serving as head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), his mission is to protect her in a run for president and survive the annual ritual that targets the poor and innocent. But when a betrayal forces them onto the streets of D.C. on the one night when no help is available, they must stay alive until dawn…or both be sacrificed for their sins against the state.What the hell is up with The Purge: Election Year? It’s just so unusually ambitious and confident, almost to a fault, that it really did enthrall me through its opening act as it begins to raise timely themes about both politics and human nature while displaying some grisly, over-the-top carnage. With that said, however, though its intentions and new found focus are noble, it proves to be another somewhat aimless entry into The Purge franchise as it doesn’t have the guts to explore the ideas it poses.
Sure, the stakes are raised and the juxtaposition between real-life and the film is impeccable, but they both feel hollowed out as the predictability of the story and the lack of any new insights comes to a head rather quickly, making it not as potent as it should be.
Surprisingly enough, this wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Though shallow and anything but subtle, The Purge: Election Year works—it works well. Determined not to be subject to the law of diminishing returns, James DeMonaco redirects the film into campy B-movie territory, therefore enhancing the cheap thrills of the previous installments, while progressing the franchise forward in a gory, almost cheeky, self-aware way that can at times feel like Carpenter’s Escape from New York.
This massive change in direction majorly helps with the watch-ability of the film immensely as does the game and ever so badass, Frank Grillo, who proves himself to be a formidable action star as does his co-star, Elizabeth Mitchell.