Thoughts : The Purge - Election Year (2016)
When The Purge first hit the scene, I had no idea that we’d be four films deep in a series that seems to get better with each film. I honestly expected the ideas to lessen and the commitment to adherence of the world they were building to fade, and yet each film only seems to further validate the existence of the series. For the Fourth of July, and in preparation for viewing The First Purge, I decided that it was finally time to take on The Purge : Election Year.
As a child, Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) became the only survivor of an attack on her family during the annual Purge night. Nearly two decades later, as a presidential hopeful, it is the Senator’s goal to end the Purge once and for all via legislation. The Senator’s polarizing stance and penchant for ignoring safety cause much concern for Purge veteran turned bodyguard Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), and his concerns greaten as those in charge remove the stipulation protecting politicians in hopes of eliminating the Senator once and for all. Meanwhile, deeper in the city, Laney Rucker (Betty Gabriel) is preparing for her annual role of administering aid during the Purge, while shopowner Joe Dixon (Mykelti WIlliamson) and apprentice Marcos Dali (Joseph Julian Soria) are preparing to protect Joe’s deli in light of a raise in Purge insurance. Little do all parties involved realize that the stakes will be greatly raised, and all of their meddle tested, as the fate of the Purge and the powers behind it lays in the balance.
As many remember, The Purge famously dropped a great concept on us, but left us stranded in such a small section of the world that it was hard to focus on the events playing out in front of us. The Purge : Anarchy allowed us the chance to actually explore the world in which our events were taking place, and key information was revealed about the true nature of the Purge nights. With this information given to us, The Purge : Election Year manages to take things one step further by bringing ideology into the mixture, setting the opposing ends of the powers that be against one another amidst the bigger backdrop of the hell they’ve created via the Purge itself. It all plays out like a monster being set loose against the opposition of those who created it, with neither side knowing who the true victim of said monster will be.
It is within this realm that Election Year really works as a film. The inherent tension of a political thriller thrives throughout the narrative, but it wears the skin of a grindhouse, pulp thriller to a greatly effective degree. The ‘fish out of water’ plays like a goldfish in a shark-infested ocean once the Senator is forced to survive on the streets, only to flip the entire series of events on its head once its revealed that the lifting of safety for politicians has put the very people tempting to remove the Senator from the picture in a different set of crosshairs. Motivations for actions start to butt up against one another, both among characters and within individual characters, creating a wonderful interplay of calculated actions and spontaneous actions being played out haphazardly.
Election Year keeps up the trend of making the spectacle grow with each passing film. The danger seems much more vivid with our scope of characters including those with so much to lose. The Purgers that take to the streets bring tons of visual flair to the screen, with memorable instances including a car completely wrapped in Christmas lights, a group of foreigners dressed up in political symbol-based costumes, and even a cult-like scene featuring politicians partaking in a deeply disturbing ritual within the confines of a church. The weaponry employed by the government-backed forces is truly heavy artillery, and it wreaks true havoc on our band of protagonists during their attempts at survival.
Frank Grillo was born to play Leo Barnes, as he is allowed free reign of both look and actions that brings a grittiness unmatched by any other character within the world of The Purge. Elizabeth Mithcell brings a grounding element to the film not present in the previous installments, in the sense that her motivations are clear and easy to understand, but not at the expense of survival. Mykelti Williamson and Joseph Julian Soria bring a chemistry of surrogate father and son that feels natural amidst the chaos presented. Betty Gabriel and Edwin Hodge do wonderfully in their reprisal of previously established roles. Raymond J. Barry and Kyle Secor pull dual antagonist duty quite well.
With each passing installment of The Purge, I find my appreciation of the series as a whole growing. The films have been a wonderful practice in patience as a fan, and a surprisingly rewarding experience in ret-conning issues that appeared in earlier films from the creators. With The First Purge having just hit theaters, I don’t expect things to fall off, and I hope to perhaps gain further insight that will bring more overall enjoyment to all four films.
