The annual purge has commenced with the series latest installment, The Purge: Election Year. This time, everyone plays, even government officials. Written and directed by James DeMonaco (The Purge 2013, The Purge: Anarchy 2014), the third chapter takes places two years after the The Purge’s sequel on March 2025 and radicals are now stepping up trying to change things for the better. Frank Grillo (Warrior 2011, The Grey 2011) reprises his role as Leo Barnes, this time as Head of Secret Service hired to protect Senator Charlie Roan played by Elizabeth Mitchell (Gia 1998, Lost 2006). Along with these two talented actors, Mykelti Williamson (Con Air 1997, The Final Destination 2009) as Joe Dixon, Joseph Julian Soria (Crank 2009, Camp X-Ray 2014) as Marcos, Betty Gabriel (In Memoriam 2011, Experimenter 2015) as Laney Rucker; a.k.a. Pequeña Muerte, and Kyle Secor (Sleeping with the Enemy 1991, Untamed Heart 1993) as Minister Edwidge Owens, made the already over the top franchise even better.
- Still from The Purge: Election Year
After surviving a horrible purge night years before, Senator Charlie Roan is ready to execute her purge-free country plan if elected. Minister Owens is not amused by this so he is running against her to revoke her strategy. This year, everyone is allow to purge on everybody including the government officials and Senator Roan is not safe. With the help of the entire board, Minister Owens plans Senator Roan’s death on purge night, but they did not realize that Leo, being Head of Security, was stronger and smarter than they thought he would be. There is an attack from the inside of the Senator’s house and both she and Leo are forced to leave the place, endangering their life outside the streets on the worst night of the year; the night where all crime, including murder, is allowed.
- Still from The Purge: Election Year
Meanwhile, Grocery Store Owner Joe Dixon teams up with Employee Marcos and friend Laney to defend the store after both the insurance company raised their prices and two psychotic school girls threatened to kill him and anyone who has ever been by his side. When Leo and Charlie are caught up by some criminals outside of Joe’s store, the team act together to defend them from the killers who came down from Brazil with the sole purpose to kill. Everyone being together does not mean that they are safer, now they are all part of the Senator’s group and they all are at risk.
Laney knows of a refugee place, but to get to it, they will have to go through a big city and even bigger obstacles. Knives, guns, hammers, and chainsaws will be used along the way, the question is, who will survive them. Will Senator Roan be able to change America’s future if elected, or will she not even be able to run for office due to being murdered senseless? It is the most dangerous night of the year, but to some, it is only Halloween on steroids!
- Still from The Purge: Election Year
The fact DeMonaco has directed and written every single film of The Purge series is an example of how hard work really pays off. Sometimes there is a balance between pulling double shifts when making a movie and making sure it is good; DeMonaco shows once again how both of those things can be achieved with much rigor. Casting was also a major part of The Purge: Election Year because it helped determine the quality of the movie. With that said, every single actor had something to bring to the table, and not one of them disappoint.
In addition, Jacques Jouffret’s (Into the Wild 2007, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009) once again shows how cinematography should be done. Everything is strategically filmed so that The Purge: Election Year would challenge as one of 2016’s best Action movies, and it deliveries. The future of The Purge series is still not known since the ending gives its long-term fans some peace of mind. Although, knowing how great the cast and crew’s imaginations are, odds are The Purge will figure some type of way to resurface. CrypticRock gives The Purge: Election Year 5 out of 5 stars.
- Universal Pictures
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