The Purge: Election Year
Director: James DeMonaco
Screenwriter: James DeMonaco
Cast: Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo, Mykelti Williamson, Terry Serpico, Betty Gabriel, Joseph Julian Soria, Kyle Secor
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rated R | 103 Minutes
Release Date: July 1, 2016

The focal point of The Purge franchise has been to address the seriousness of the gap between the two social classes of the rich and the poor. It’s a reflection of sorts that has terrifying results in which a newly rebooted government has established during an annual event there will be 12 hours during which any crime committed will not be punished. Though this day known as The Purge has brought crime down, it has disenfranchised those who could afford insurance coverage from looting and property damage, and protection from those who take advantage of being able to kill without consequences. So even though blood is constantly being spilled throughout the films, there is a very serious social issue that director James DeMonaco is trying to get across to the audience. While he may have successfully gotten that message to audiences in The Purge and The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge: Election Year doesn’t quite fall flat, but it doesn’t take full advantage of the timely politically charged election campaign themes, nor does it make use of misappropriating religion.

Writer/director James DeMonaco“˜s The Purge films have been hyper-violent, exposing the politics of what a new America could be like if crime were legalized for one single day. It showed the glaring discrepancy between the rich, who could afford the luxuries of protection, and the poor, who must defend themselves with flimsy security, or offer their own lives as tribute killings to protect their own loved ones. The franchise has spanned two films, each being a respectable hit, and now Universal has released the first trailer for The Purge: Election Year.

Check it out below.

It was confirmed back in October that Universal was working on a third Purge film, with James Demonaco, who wrote and directed the first two movies, returning to steer the project.

Now, Variety reports that the studio has set the release date for The Purge 3.

The Purge film franchise is probably one of the most profitable franchises we have seen in recent years. The Purge was made on a $3 million budget and earned a lifetime total of $89.3 at the box office, while The Purge: Anarchy was made on a $9 million budget and earned $108 million at the box office. Pretty impressive numbers for both films considering they were made on a six-figure budget. So Universal hopes to strike gold again with The Purge 3. Not only that but James Demonaco, who wrote and directed the first two films, will return to serve as writer and director once more.

The Purge is set in America, where a newly established government helped lower crime to an all-time low, raised the number of jobs to an all time high, and poverty is no where in sight. All of that is thanks to an annual event called “The Purge.” During this time, all crime is legal for 12 hours. In the first film, we focus on the family, whose riches couldn’t even protect them inevitable bloodshed. The second one however, flip that story on its head and focused on a group who couldn’t afford the luxury of a high-powered defense system, and a man who had a vendetta.

The Purge: Anarchy
Written & Directed by James DeMonaco
Starring Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zoe Soul, Michael K. Williams, Zach Gilford
Universal Pictures
Rated R | 103 Minutes
Release Date: July 18, 2014

Review by Yasin Lago

The first Purge film was a concept and box office windfall that took folks by surprise, so much so that it seemed to demand a sequel. True or not, here it is with The Purge: Anarchy. The original played as the suburban-style stuck-in-the-house-with-strangers scenario. This time out the story is told throughout the city, with downtown L.A. as an open set location. Of course that means expanding and expounding on violent crimes committed by seemingly demonic-like phantoms strolling from murder to murder, as well as the class war, slightly hinted at in the previous, which is the focus of this film.