The Purge: Anarchy follows the story of The New Founding Fathers’ annual Purge, where all crime, including murder, is legal for twelve hours. Three families fight for their lives throughout the night and hope that, come morning, they will still have their loved ones alive next to them. Sergeant (Frank Grillo) makes it his business to do just the opposite of what The Purge demands; he goes out of his way to protect people who are being negatively affected by the event. He, and his four new friends, navigate the bloodsoaked streets of Los Angeles, as he looks to find someone across town.
James DeMonaco is back for the second (or third, depending on how you look at it) installment in The Purge series. The original film, which was released just one year prior, was based, almost entirely, on the idea of purging and lacked in some regards due to this fact. DeMonaco chose to develop a layered story and create relatable characters and bonds. Beside Sergeant is a couple, Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez), on the brink of separation and a mother and daughter, Eva Sanchez (Carmen Ejogo) and Cali (Zoë Soul). Real life, relatable relationships created a connection between the audience and the story unlike anything seen before in the franchise. Unlike before, audiences were rooting for people rather than the annual event, and this added a new dimension of enjoyment to watching the film.
Each and every one of the actors did a great job, but Grillo was the shining star of the film. His ability to portray killer, purger, hero and father was truly amazing. He embodied each and every aspect of his character and delivered an astounding performance. He was able to guide the story and the other actors from beginning to end, and his mystery was a great contributor to audiences being engaged in the film.
The franchise took a huge step in the right direction by creating likeable and relatable characters. The finished product was far superior to the film(s) that came before it, and it prepared audiences for the next installment and allowed them to better appreciate what DeMonaco had previously done.
Comments