With a $90 million gross on just a $3 million budget, a sequel to James DeMonaco’s The Purge was always going to be inevitable. Now, one year later, we have The Purge: Anarchy. With DeMonaco back behind the camera and a fresh cast in front, can the film repeat the same success that its predecessor saw? Judging by this newly released trailer, yes, yes it can.
This time around, Frank Grillo will be our protagonist and like Ethan Hawke’s character from the last film, he will face a Purge. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Purge is a special night of the year where citizens can commit any crimes they want and get away with it. The catch is that for the other 364 days of the year they must live in peace and harmony.
Whereas the original took place mostly in a house, the sequel looks to take place mostly on the streets, expanding the scope and giving us a better idea of how this Purge impacts society. It all looks positively eerie and chilling and given that I found the first film both enjoyable in its thrills and intriguing in its premise, I’m curious to see where they go with the sequel.
Co-starring Michael K. Williams, Carmen Ejogo, Jasper Cole, Zoe Borde, Zack Gilford, Kiele Sanchez and Chad Morgan, The Purge: Anarchy will terrorize audiences on July 18th.