Movie Review: The Purge: Election Year (2016) October Horror Fest (05)

I watch the previous two movies in late June or July. You can see my review here for the first movie. The second movie is good but I think it's not as good as the first.  In the first we've got a family trying to survive and some hints are giving about what's The Purge. In the second movie they give more info on the Purge but this time we follow a couple of persons on the night. Some stranded, some willingly and so on. It's more violent and fast paced. I cannot compare to say I prefer X or Y because even on the same theme they are quite different.

Synopsis
This one, Election Year, starts with some flashbacks on the firt purge (2022) on the life of Charlie Roan and then we are catapulted 18 years into the future. We are given the information that some people are discontent with the Purge and are making riots. There are some elections coming and for the first time someone not in New Founding Father's is battling them - this woman is Roan from the flashback portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell (interesting I am also watching Dead of Summer which she is in) who wants to abolish the Purge.

Of course the NFFA plan to eliminate her but there is a rule in the purge(the only one) who says that level ranking 10 government officials cannot be targeted (Roan and the NFFA leaders) so the revoke the Level 10 Ranking; first to kill her and second to try to make people believe that the Purge does not exist solely to poor people be killed.

Of course, we know, since the first story that the reason of the Purge is to kill the poor and unemployed and such, so they can control the finances of the country. But at the same time crime and unemployment is almost non-existent and the economy bloom.

Returning to our review... In this movie we follow three sets of characters (maybe four). One is Leo Barnes (from the Purge: Anarchy) and the senator Roan. Other is a shop-owner Joe Dixon, his assistant Marcos and Emergency Medical Technician Laney Rucker. They separate when the purge begins and so we follow Laney solo and Marcos and Joe trying to protected his store.

Marcos loves the senator while Joe thinks that no matter what she is a politician and therefore not to be trusted. 

Well, we get some glimpses of Purgers outside and how people react to it. Most of them are pure psychopaths with some female colleges students taking the show and trying to kill Joe - for a moment I thought I was watching anime. After a fail attempt on the Senator Roan they escape throughout the city to find refuge with Joe and Marcos and later on they are saved by Laney who takes them to an anti-purge rebels led by Dante Bishop (from the previous movies) who has volunteers to help anyone. 

They later learn that Bishop is going to ambush the NFFA leaders and kill them.

Roan who was safe says that she doesn't win that way and goes out to stop him - again with Leo, Joe, Marco and Laney.  After an initial confrontation Roan is capture and taken to be sacrificied by NFFA leaders. The rest of the gang try to save her and with the help Bishop do it.

Joe, Leo, Marco, Larney & Charlie

Roan then implores Bishop no to kill the NFFA Leader because it will turn him into a martyr. After all the anger Bishops obeys Roan request. Meanwhile Joe who was a Roan disbeliever sacrifices himself for her. Two months afterwards as Marcos is taking care of Joe's store he hears on the news that Roans wins the election but riots are on the streets that follow the NFFA and the Purge.

Review
The ending leaves us wanting more... What will happen? As all dictatorships there are some who support it. In this case the middle class and upper class support NFFA because the Purge first made the country richer and it's a way to do what a hell they want that night. Only the poor, and some more conscious people would think the Purge was not helpful... 

Bear in mind that we are not at 2040's (the initial purge was 2022) so anyone before the 20 years never knew anything else and all others have lived half or a third of their live under that regime. 

I am not trying to say that The Purge should be implemented - after all it's population control - and violates the personal freedom of a country - I don't think any country did what this intends. I think the only night that happened even in Nazi Regime was the Kristallnacht where German civilians and SA Paramilitary may have killed around 90 people and incarcerated some Jews. They loot, arson - basically a Pogrom. That was the only night I remember the Nazi Germany lost control and let people do what a hell they wanted. For the rest they were more controlled and most things were hidden from common people.

Again, let me rephrase and reinstate (I think this is the word to say) - I condemn any kind of violence to anyone. I am only saying that some people follow it. After all, if not for all those people, all dictatorships would have never even risen... 

I advice to watch this movie to anyone who watch the previous ones. Don't watch it if you never watch the other two. They are not essential but it's a more fulfilling experience. 

Now, a Purge 4? Maybe - I read somewhere that a prequel of some sorts is going to be made, even maybe a TV Series. But a Sequel of the Riots and Civil Wars? Maybe even a world wide view of the world? We never learn anything about the world on three movies. We know there are Purge Tourists but that's it.