The Purge: Election Year
2016 · Directed by James DeMonaco
Original language: English
- action
- horror
- thriller
The story
Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Leo Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. On the night of what should be the final Purge, a betrayal from within the government forces Barnes and Roan out onto the street where they must fight to survive the night.
What it’s like
Harsh, saturated night photography: sodium-orange streetlamps, cold blue-black shadows and the hard red glare of emergency flares dominate, with handheld camera work that keeps the action close and jittery during street chases and a sleek, grimly polished look once the story moves into political rooms. Sound leans on a pounding electronic score that drops to unnerving quiet between bursts of gunfire, sirens, and masked crowds shouting in the distance. The vibe is grim, pulpy and urgent, a sweaty night-long survival sprint with a political edge. It suits a late-night watch when you want tension and momentum rather than subtlety. Violence is frequent and often bloody, with shootings, stabbings and brutal assaults, plus threats of sexual violence and strong cruelty, so it lands hard rather than gently. Written for viewers who enjoy dystopian action-horror, lean thrillers with a message about power, and a hero who keeps running toward the fight.
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