"The Purge: Election Year" Review

With 4th of July weekend upon us, it's that time of year again to celebrate America's greatness by taking our frustration out on others! C'mon, your friends are doing it. Your neighbors are most likely doing it too. Heck, even your dentist! It's time to "purge and purify!" It's what saved America from economic ruin, and it will continue to do good for years to come!

At least that's what the New Founding Fathers would have you believe.

The Purge: Election Year is the third installment in writer/director James DeMonaco's wildly successful action-horror franchise. These films have never been incredible; always more interesting in concept than execution. But nobody could ever fault DeMonaco for not producing something wildly original, maybe even "refreshing." Come to think of it, isn't that what "purging" is all about? To cut through the dreck on the way to a higher, cleaner existence?

It may not stand out from the summer movie stable as much as it would like to, but Election Year is most assuredly the kind of "purge" this series needed. This film comes closer to realizing the enormous potential DeMonaco's high concept than either of its predecessors.

The story picks up two years after the events of The Purge: Anarchy. Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) is now the head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), an anti-Purge crusader vying for the presidency against a candidate backed by the New Founding Fathers of America. Leo and Charlie share a unique bond in blood that makes them perfect foils for what the purge represents. In Anarchy, Leo spared a man's life once he weighed the true consequences of his actions. On the other hand, Charlie witnessed her family helplessly slaughtered on "purge night" eighteen years prior. Threatened by Senator Roan's maverick personality, the New Founding Fathers orchestrate an attack on her life during the annual purge. On the run with no one to trust, Leo and Senator Roan cross paths with local deli owner Joe (Mykelti Williamson), his hired help Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), and their friend Laney (Betty Gabriel) who drives a triage van helping those injured by purgers. Together they'll face foreign tourists, neo-Nazis, and twisted teen girls in an effort to survive the most dangerous night of the year.

By its very nature, Election Year is no masterpiece. That said, it's consistently entertaining, and the biggest problems I had with it are really just nitpicky. For example it'd be great to see a Purge movie set on a larger scale at some point. This one does a decent job of opening up the world to give us a sense that there's more going on than just what's happening to our protagonists. But on a night where ALL crime is legal, surely people are doing more than just murdering each other. I found myself itching for a tense bank robbery or a Wall Street big wig committing tax fraud or something. That stuff puts butts in seats just as much as murder does. Have you seen Dog Day Afternoon? Wolf of Wall Street? Heck, just Wall Street?

Also, Election Year ends in an odd place that took me right out of the entire experience. It's odd because for a film that's meant to be a cautionary tale and a critique of our current political climate, the ending feels grossly out of time.  If you listen closely, you can also make out a setup for a potential sequel. The good thing is that if DeMonaco moves forward on The Purge 4, from what the setup is, it should be a logical progression of the story as opposed to just another money-mandated installment.

I enjoyed my time with Election Year on the whole despite the flaws that I myself projected onto it. It's a well-told story with just enough subplots and characters to keep things fresh. The best part is that all of them reach satisfying conclusions. That's rarer than you may think, especially in horror movies.

These movies have only gotten better with each installment, and should there be more purging to come, sign me up.

B-