The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
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A group of survivors must navigate the hostile streets of Los Angeles during a government-sanctioned night of legalized crime.
The story
In 2023, as people across America prepare for the annual Purge, where all crimes are legalized, an anti-Purge resistance group formed by Carmelo Johns hacks into live feeds to denounce the NFFA. In L.A., waitress Eva Sanchez returns home to her daughter Cali and terminally ill father Rico. As Eva and Cali prepare to barricade themselves, Rico slips out to a waiting limousine. He has offered to be killed by a wealthy family in exchange for money paid to Eva and Cali. Meanwhile, estranged married couple Shane and Liz visit a grocery store, only to be harassed by a masked gang of skateboarders and dirt bikers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2023, during the annual Purge where all crimes are legalized, an anti-Purge resistance group led by Carmelo Johns denounces the NFFA. In Los Angeles, Eva Sanchez, her daughter Cali, and her father Rico (who seeks to be killed for money) are targeted. Meanwhile, Shane and Liz are harassed by a biker gang. As the Purge begins, Eva and Cali are captured by a paramilitary platoon and offered to 'Big Daddy.' Off-duty LAPD sergeant Leo Barnes rescues them after killing the troops and wounding Big Daddy. The group joins forces with Shane and Liz, fleeing through hostile streets and subways, narrowly escaping a pyrotechnic gang. After being captured and sold at a human hunting auction, Leo subdues the attackers. Shane is killed by security, but the group is saved by the resistance fighters. Leo then pursues his personal revenge against Warren Grass, the man responsible for his son's death. Leo eventually spares Warren, and as the Purge ends, Warren takes the group to the hospital.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James DeMonaco
- Writers
- James DeMonaco · writer
- Cast and characters
- Frank Grillo · Leo Barnes (credited as the "Sergeant"); Carmen Ejogo · Eva Sanchez; Zach Gilford · Shane; Kiele Sanchez · Liz; Zoë Soul · Cali Sanchez; Justina Machado · Tanya; John Beasley · Papa Rico Sanchez; Jack Conley · Big Daddy
- Genres
- action; horror; dystopian; crime; thriller; science fiction
- Themes
- Survival; Revenge; Totalitarianism; Class Warfare
- Tone and mood
- Gritty; Grisly; Dystopian
- Premise and plot tags
- Survival; Action; Horror; Dystopian; Crime
- Franchise connections
- The Purge
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised it as an improvement over its predecessor but criticized its clichéd formula and screenplay. Audiences gave it an average grade of 'B'.
- Production trivia
- The film was the theme for a scare zone in the 2014 edition of Halloween Horror Nights at two of the Universal Parks & Resorts.; The film was also a house at Halloween Horror Nights the following year in Orlando.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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