I like this premise as a concept for a film where all crime is legalised for twelve hours without judgement. It opens up so many ideas for potential plots so I thought that the first movie had a real uniqueness even if it fell a little flat. This time instead of focusing on one family we get to follow three different groups who’s paths intertwine in the battle to survive the night where all citizens are given their right to purge by the “The New Founding Fathers of America” and their police state that has been established. Although all citizens can purge it is generally used as a method of population control as the poorer neighbourhoods usually the targets.

We initially meet Shane (Zach Gilford) and his girlfriend Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are driving to Shane’s sister in order to see the purge out safely but their car breaks down on the way and they are stranded, Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Tanya (Justina Machado) live in their apartment in a lower class area of town and once the purge starts they are tormented by the buildings superintendent who wants to make Eva pay for her constant spurning of his sexual advances and an off duty police Sergeant (Frank Grillo), in a role I found very reminiscent of Kurt Russell in Escape From New York for some reason, who has done his preparation and is partaking in the purge in order to avenge the death of his son. Their paths meet in a twist of fate and they are left trying to survive the purge as a group against ever increasing difficult odds.

There’s no real development for most of the characters nor is there any real delving into their backstories and the ‘villians’ are mostly masked so it’s hard to distinguish one from the other with a few exceptions but this movie is not about the who, it’s about the how so forget about the end which gets a bit too Hollywood for my liking and look past any allegory about modern society which may be hidden without in the movie or even the concept of the purge in general and enjoy a movie which takes a different approach to the theme of survivors battling against the odds and puts a spin on things in a way that will, generally, keep you entertained. Here’s hoping that the third movie in the franchise due later this year will take things to the next level.

DJ Speaks Rating: 6 Out Of 10