For all the horror fanatics out there, The Purge is back, but this time it will be causing anarchy amongst the American citizens. With the concept of an annual 12-hour pass to commit any crime, including murder, with no emergency services available to help, it is clear from the offset that this film is going to be packed full of threats and violence, so it’s certainly not a one for the light hearted.
However, it of course has been making money at the box office as flocks of horror fans go to see it.
A more realistic approach
With the first Purge film focusing on one family’s house for the whole 85 minutes, the second presents a change as the focus of the spree takes place out on the streets, fixating on the dangers all around the city.
This appears to take a slightly more realistic approach to what would be likely to happen on the night of the purge – murder to those unlucky enough to be outside unprotected, as opposed to entering the home of an unsuspecting family who have guards all around.
With an anger stricken man desperate to seek revenge for his son’s death (Frank Grillo), a couple in the midst of separating (Kiele Sanchez and Zach Gilford) and a poor mother-daughter duo (Carmen Ejogo and Zoe Soul) all involved in the night’s antics, this film surely covers a more interesting storyline than previously.
Politics of a modern world
The whole concept of the James DeMonaco film is based around the politics of the modern world and the idea that disasters could arise due to bad decision-making, which is the key to the success of this film – linking real issues to a fictional plot.
As this film is set in the future, it allows the imagination to run wild, and causes fear to kick in, as there is always the potential that this dangerous night could in fact spring to life in years to come, depending on decisions made by both the government and the public.
Generally, this works really well and as a result there are many moments filled with tension and suspense, as you wait to see what will happen next, and fear for the vulnerable characters that could be in danger.
Repetitive
Despite this, the film feels repetitive at times, as the same problems threaten the group throughout. As a result, there are moments when it already feels as though you know what’s about to happen, which is disappointing. However, this isn’t a frequent occurrence throughout the film.
In addition to this, it does seem as though the director has tried too hard to make this a success, but instead included too many different ideas into a short space of time, causing them to not work well together, particularly towards the end.
In conclusion, although the second Purge film is better than the first in the series, there is certainly no need for another to be produced of a similar storyline, as this would undoubtedly be stretching the idea too far, and ruining it’s current success.
Kettle Rating: 3/5
What do you think of the film? Have your say in the comments section below.
