Movie Review: The Purge: Election Year

In the middle of the most violent, disgusting and flat-out bizarre presidential election cycle of all-time, The Purge: Election Year serves as an incredibly timely reality release that's sadly not nearly as far removed from reality as you'd think. Its social commentary about the government's treatment of poor people and minorities, income inequality, influence of wealthy corporations over government, etc. may be dealt out with not even a hint of subtlety, but it still manages to get a strong rise out of the audience, regardless of what your political affiliations are. It's refreshing to see a mainstream film that exposes and challenge a lot of the bullshit and corruption that goes on in Washington, even if it's in a pretty simplistic and obvious manner.

Political agenda aside, The Purge: Election Year succeeds because it's a self-aware B-movie that aims to provide grimy entertainment and delivers in spades. Just like with 2014's Anarchy, writer/director James DeMonaco spends almost all of Election Year focusing on the front lines of the Purge and it leads to the most satisfying, well-constructed story of the entire series. The story's bigger scope involving main characters that are from the groups that are targeted in the Purge and a presidential candidate (Elizabeth Mitchell) that's trying to eliminate the annual 12-hour crime spree makes its messages hit harder and the proceedings much more engaging than they were in the previous two films. Election Year is a highly entertaining film with a pointed and deeply effective message that should resonate with anyone currently experiencing the nastiness and chaos of the 2016 United States Presidential Election.

4/5 Stars