benkitching13 7.5 out of 10 for clarification. The Purge: Anarchy is a considerably more refined sequel that improves upon it's predecessor (2013's horror thriller The Purge) in a number of key ways. It retains the tension and social commentary of the first film, however the performances and cinematography are more nuanced and the inclusion of multiple interweaving storylines is a welcome addition. Horror fans may well appreciate the morbid creativity here.

anselmdaniel This review contains spoilers.The Purge: Anarchy is the sequel to the The Purge. It is directed by James DeMonaco and stars new cast of characters that try to survive the purge. The story follows multiple perspectives, from a cop out for revenge, a couple that is stranded, to a mother and daughter deep in the city. These plot lines converge and lead to the cop protecting the others.The Purge: Anarchy has a higher budget which it uses to employ more extras and effects. There is absolutely a more grander feel to this movie and it can be felt that a city has gone crazy. That is all that is positive about this movie.The problems with the writing in the first movie remain except that it is only exacerbated with the budget. More ludicrous events will take place on the screen to increase the body count. There is a scene midway through the movie where it explains that the government is seeking out poor areas to increase the deaths caused by the purge. This event is hard to believe as the survivors and even people in the city can film them. It is difficult to believe that the government could be sending full military armed forces to kill poor citizens. Even upon losing a truck, no one suspects or even brings up the overkill the government is doing to the population. The same plot holes such as vacation outside of the United States are not even hand waved here. None of the movie's internal logic makes sense, especially with gangs kidnapping people for the rich to have a gladiator game. These are interesting scenes, but are not fulfilling.The other parts of this movie such as directing, editing, and acting range from bland to decent. Frank Grillo as the police officer is the standout performance here. The rest of the movie's mentioned components are not great.The audience that would like this movie most is one that is willing to heavily suspend their disbelief. A large suspension is needed to simply enjoy the action which is decently shot and choreographed here. My only wish for this movie is that there should have been more commentary. Much of the backstory and politics of this alternate United States is not told through the characters. It is only given by narration. With a lot of tweaks, this series could have been better but now it is only mindless entertainment.I do not recommend The Purge: Anarchy.

WubsTheFadger Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerAfter watching the first Purge, I was interested enough to watch the second one (I heard that it was better than the first one). I have to say, that this one was a disappointment like the first one. The premise of the story is very interesting and original but the outcome is sloppy and messy. I wish they had made the Purge films like an anthology series, this format would make the films a lot better.The acting is pretty bad. The only good actors in the entire film are Frank Grillo and Michael Kenneth Williams. Grillo is a badass who stops at nothing to achieve his goals. The pacing is fast and gets us into the action quickly. The runtime is overlong.Pros: Interesting story fast pacing, and good acting by Frank Grillo and Michael Kenneth WilliamsCons: The story is messy and sloppy, unused potential when it comes to the premise, bad acting, and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 4.2P.S. I did not enjoy the first Purge that much but had heard that the second Purge film was a lot better. Sadly, the first Purge film is way better than this film.

Tss5078 When I saw the trailer for the first Purge movie, I thought it was a wildly innovative idea and I absolutely loved it! I was so excited to see the film, unfortunately it amounted to little more than a slasher movie. The story had all the potential in the world, but they really didn't go into it, they just wanted to show off the violence and hatred people had towards one another. I was hoping they would correct this in the sequel and boy did they ever! Anarchy isn't about some family hunkered down in their home, fighting off attackers. In the second installment of the Purge, we learn a lot more about it. The pro and anti-purge factions that exist, the professional companies that make a fortune off that one night, the way the rich purge, and the main story which centers around what happens on the streets when two families are trapped outside on purge night. Two families are easy pickings until they find Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), a man on a mission that he can only complete on Purge night. Barnes however is a man of conscience and won't complete his mission until he begrudgingly gets the families to safety, which means a wild trek through the city. The Purge: Anarchy is a wild ride through a city of ordinary people turned into killers, with home made weapons, booby-traps, and pure anarchy, just as the title promises. If you're looking for action and violence, there are a million places to turn, that's not what the appeal of this movie is. It's the idea, that crime virtually is nonexistent, except for this one night, where society turns on each other. Where almost everyone's craziest fantasy becomes reality and just how some people react. What will each character turn into when they are allowed to do whatever they want? How does society feel about this law and is the benefit worth the cost? This story has just so many directions it can go in, that why I'm not surprised to hear they're working on a fourth film. The Purge series may just be a series of action/slasher films, but this one idea puts a whole new spin on them and makes you see things through a whole different set of eyes and I for one think it's ingenious.