The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Three groups of people intertwine and are left stranded in the streets on Purge Night, trying to survive the chaos and violence that occurs.

Director:

James DeMonaco

Writers:

James DeMonaco, James DeMonaco (characters created by)

Stars:

Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Grillo	...	Sergeant
Carmen Ejogo	...	Eva Sanchez
Zach Gilford	...	Shane
Kiele Sanchez	...	Liz
Zoë Soul	...	Cali
Justina Machado	...	Tanya
John Beasley	...	Papa Rico
Jack Conley	...	Big Daddy
Noel Gugliemi	...	Diego (as Noel G.)
Castulo Guerra	...	Barney
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Carmelo (as Michael K. Williams)
Edwin Hodge	...	Bloody Stranger
LaKeith Stanfield	...	Young Ghoul Face (as Keith Stanfield)
Roberta Valderrama	...	Lorraine
Niko Nicotera	...	Roddy

Storyline

A couple are driving home when their car breaks down just as the Purge commences. Meanwhile, a police sergeant goes out into the streets to get revenge on the man who killed his son, and a mother and daughter run from their home after assailants destroy it. The five people meet up as they attempt to survive the night in Los Angeles.

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Plot Keywords:

sabotage | held at gunpoint | brutality | 2020s | burned alive | 

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Taglines:

The annual purge has commenced.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong disturbing violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Sergeant's name, not heard in the film, is Leo Barnes. The majority of the character's dialogue including his backstory was cut in post-production. His character reappears in The Purge: Election Year (2016), where his full name is learned.

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Goofs

The film takes place in Los Angeles on March 21-22, 2023. The Purge begins in total darkness at 7pm and ends in daylight at 7am. Unless the Founding Fathers abolished or changed Daylight Saving Time, the opposite would be true.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: America. 2023. Unemployment is below 5%. Crime is virtually non-existent while every year fewer and fewer people live below the poverty line. All thanks to...
Title Card: The Purge: anarchy.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Scariest Action Movies of All Time (2019)

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Soundtracks

Rack 'Em Up
Written by Matthew R. Corbett (as Matthew Corbett) and Mike Wilkie
Courtesy of Sound Ideas

User Reviews

I can see now why it's not called "The Purge 2"

The 2013 movie "The Purge" left a bad taste in all of our mouths as nothing more than a pseudo-slasher with a hamfisted plot, poor pacing, and a desperate attempt at "horror." Upon seeing the first trailer for "The Purge: Anarchy," my first and most immediate thought was "we really don't need another one of these." The first film was self-contained and didn't leave any opening for a reasonable sequel. But after seeing a few more commercials and looking into it some more, I decided to give this film the benefit of the doubt and I am NOT disappointed.

The film stands on its own feet much better than the first film did, and mostly because of what it's going for. Instead of trying to be a Horror movie, it becomes a fantastic Thriller/Action film set in a pseudo-apocalyptic future about a group of people trying to survive on a night where it's all-out war on the streets.

A lot of themes are explored -- Human Nature, Fear, Anger, Revenge, Heroism -- in ways that many other movies don't really explore it. And more than that, every small detail is kept in mind throughout the film.

Compared to everything else I've seen so far this year, this is by far the best thriller film to come out. It holds its own and it has a message instead of just being a movie about wanton violence. The action scenes are done well, and the tension is enough to keep interest even in the low parts of the film. Every moment you think is safe leads directly into the next moment of pressure for the main characters, and you can't help but sympathize for the characters who (all but one) don't even want to be stuck out here on this horrid night.

I very highly recommend this film to anyone who likes thrillers or action films with a little bit of psychological horror thrown in.

And a little bit of a tip? Forget everything from the first film. "The Purge" doesn't set up or explain anything that this film doesn't, doesn't add anything to this film, and isn't even worth watching beforehand.

The Purge: Anarchy is a great film in its own right and it's worth watching. My only issue is that the first film couldn't have been more like this.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Purge 2

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$29,816,675, 20 July 2014

Gross USA:

$71,962,800

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$111,928,365

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Platinum Dunes, Blumhouse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital EX Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1