The Purge: Anarchy

****
UK Release Date: July 25th 2014

A young couple works to survive on the streets after their car breaks down right as the annual purge commences.

Director: James DeMonaco (The Purge)

Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford

It's not often said that a sequel is better than the first, but The Purge: Anarchy proves us wrong. Where the first outing with Ethan Hawke was confined to a suburban house, Anarchy finally hits the streets. What the first lacked in potential, Anarchy strikes it. 

The plot is deeper and more fulfilled as we get to see what happens to the working class people of America. They are treated like puppets by the high and mighty aristocrats of society. Two of the compadres (that we follow) have no choice but to traverse the urban streets during the annual purge when their car breaks down. Thankfully circumstances have led them to a man only known as Sergeant (Grillo). Unlike the others he ends up with, Sergeant is out to purge. 

Surviving the night is the least of their worries. The story is thick with twists and turns. The survivalists learn the hard way that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than they thought. 

Sergreant and co are welcome protagonists that are easier to relate to compared to the wealthy family in the first one. Also, not knowing the who, why, how etc (from the previous film) was painful. Anarchy corrects all the problems its predecessor held. It turns an unrealistic idea into a believable one.