The Purge: Anarchy (2014) [Movie Review]

For all intents and purposes, 2013's The Purge was... not a very great film. It featured an interesting future society that ultimately is a scary concept. However, in The Purge, the filmmakers decided to throw out their really interesting premise and go with your standard, run of the mill invasion thriller. The Purge: Anarchy is what The Purge should have been. In this installment, we get to see what is happening outside and we get to watch as five unlucky souls must try to survive the night.

I can't really explain my excitement for this film. Being a follow-up to a film that I rather disliked, I can't think of any reason why this would have even had a sliver of interest from me. But I was anxiously awaiting this film for the past month or so.

And this time around, The Purge did not disappoint.

As stated above, the plot of this film is what the original's plot should have been. We now get to see the horror that awaits those who are outside. And horror it is. Imagining yourself in any one of these peoples shoes makes for terrifying thoughts.

What really stands out in this film is the "resistance" to the Purge. These are the guys that make the film truly interesting. A large group of people who loath what the Purge brings are making it their mission to make a change. While we don't see this group for much of the film, I am hoping that they play a large part in this films inevitable sequel.

The weakest part of this film is it's dialogue. For much of the movie, I was trying to figure out if the lines were meant to be humorous or if that's just how they came out to be. Most films have a bit of comedic relief, so I do imagine that many of the humorous lines were intentional, but I think there might have been a bit too much for this type of film.

Overall, I would say this film is worth watching. If you haven't seen The Purge, don't worry! I would actually recommend avoiding that film and simply jumping right into it's sequel. It's better on every level and well worth the price of entry.

Rating: 7/10

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