The Purge: Anarchy
2014 · Directed by James DeMonaco
Original language: English
- horror
- thriller
The story
One night per year, the government sanctions a 12-hour period in which citizens can commit any crime they wish -- including murder -- without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Leo, a sergeant who lost his son, plans a vigilante mission of revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of a death-dealing avenger, he becomes the unexpected protector of four innocent strangers who desperately need his help if they are to survive the night.
What it’s like
Gritty, sun-bleached night-time dread: the Purge: Anarchy plays out almost entirely after dark in a rain-slicked, graffiti-scarred Los Angeles, lit by sodium streetlamps, car headlights, sirens-red glow and the flare of gunfire, with a handheld, claustrophobic camera that stays close to its scared, sweaty faces. Sound does much of the work: a restless percussive score, crowd roars and distant gunshots that never quite stop, and sudden silences that feel more threatening than the noise. The vibe is relentless urban unease with flickers of grit-and-grace solidarity, and its pacing is almost continuously tense, with short breaths between set pieces. Expect frequent, often brutal violence, including shootings, stabbings, and a machete-heavy finale, with some blood and a few graphic kills; fear and menace run high throughout, though sexual content is minimal and there is little gore for its own sake. Its people shift gradually from wary strangers to an uneasy, hard-won bond between a grieving ex-soldier and a small group of vulnerable survivors. Best for viewers who want a lean, adrenaline-driven action thriller about survival and moral conviction, rather than anything gentle.
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