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The Purge: Election Year

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The Purge: Election Year
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJames DeMonaco
Written byJames DeMonaco
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJacques Jouffret
Edited byTodd E. Miller
Music byNathan Whitehead
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • July 1, 2016 (2016-07-01) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[2]
Box office$31 million[2]

The Purge: Election Year is a 2016 American social science fiction action horror film, written and directed by James DeMonaco and starring Frank Grillo and Elizabeth Mitchell. A sequel to the 2014 film The Purge: Anarchy, it is the third installment in The Purge series. The film was released on July 1, 2016, received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed over $31 million.[3]

Plot

The film begins with Charlie Roan and her family bound, gagged, and covered in blood. The Purger in their home says they are going to play one final Purge game, called "Mommy's Choice." Eighteen years later, two days before the Purge, Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) is campaigning for the Presidency with the goal of ending the Purge. She is rivaled by Minister Edwidge Owens, a candidate set up by the NFFA to maintain the status quo. The New Founding Fathers of America, headed by Caleb Warren (Raymond J. Barry), view Roan as a threat to their rule and revoke immunities on top government officials in order to eliminate her from play on Purge night. The day before the Purge, deli owner Joe Dixon (Mykelti Williamson), his assistant Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), and EMT Laney Rucker (Betty Gabriel) confront a pair of teenaged shoplifters. No longer able to afford his insurance premiums for the Purge, Joe decides to stake out and guard his store. Roan decides to wait out the Purge from her unsecured home in order to secure the popular vote of the common people. Her head of security, bodyguard Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), orders her home locked down and surrounded by security, accompanied by Chief Couper (Ethan Phillips) and Eric (Adam Cantor). Many international citizens have come to participate in what may be the final Purge, thus possibly making it the most dangerous to date.

Joe and Marcos repel an attack by the shoplifters, wounding the leader, Kimmy (Brittany Mirabile). Laney patrols the city in an ambulance, rendering medical care to the wounded. Roan and Barnes are betrayed by Couper and Eric, who signal to a Neo-Nazi paramilitary force led by Earl Danzinger (Terry Serpico) that attacks Roan's house. Barnes manages to get Roan to safety, but is wounded in the process. He detonates a bomb in the house, killing Eric and Couper as well as several of Danzinger's operators. Roan and Barnes try to seek shelter elsewhere, but are ambushed by a gang of Russian Purgers and taken captive. Before they can be executed, Joe and Marcos shoot the gang dead and rescue them. As they take shelter in Joe's store, the shoplifters return to raze the building. The four are rescued by Laney, who runs over Kimmy with her ambulance and shoots the others. The group is ambushed by a helicopter, forcing them to seek refuge underneath a highway overpass. They are confronted by a large group of Crips, who back off by Joe giving the Crips gang whistle. Barnes deduces that they were tracked by the bullet lodged in him, and manages to extract it. In exchange for Laney helping the gang leader's "boy", the Crips trick the paramilitary forces by planting the bullet elsewhere, and wipe out Danzinger's ground team.

The group is led to a hideout beneath a hospital protected by anti-Purge rebels. Joe, Marcos, and Laney decide to go back to the store, but spot several NFFA death squad trucks headed to the hideout. Meanwhile, Roan tries to dissuade the rebels from assassinating Minister Owens (Kyle Secor), as she wants to win the election fairly. They are forced to flee as death squad forces arrive, and the pair meet up again with the ambulance. However, the ambulance is rammed by a truck, and Roan is delivered to Owens at a Purge mass. Barnes and the others give chase and meet up with the rebel assassination team led by Dante Bishop (Edwin Hodge). Owens has his assistant Harmon James (Christopher James Baker) execute a man as a cleansing ritual for his drug addiction, before inviting the members of the NFFA to execute Roan. As Warren prepares to slit her throat, Marcos kills him and forces the rest of the congregation to scatter. Bishop's team captures Owens in the basement. Bishop contemplates killing Owens to the protests of Roan and Barnes, while Owens goads him on to kill him. Bishop refrains, and allows him to live on the condition that Roan wins the election.

Bishop and his men decide to secure transport to leave the church while the Senator and her group hide in the basement, but they are ambushed by Danzinger and his mercenaries, leaving the rebel team killed and Bishop wounded. Barnes rushes out to help them, leaving the Senator in the care of Laney and company. Bishop manages to dispatch the remaining mercenaries save for Danzinger, who kills Bishop. Earl and Barnes engage in a gunfight before they both run out of ammunition, whereupon they continue fighting with their knives. Barnes gains the upper hand and kills Danzinger. In the meantime, the Senator's group is ambushed by Owens' assistant Harmon James, who wounds Marcos, incapacitates Laney, and fatally shoots Joe, who kills James with a shot to the head. With his dying breath, Joe urges the Senator to win the election.

Several months after the Purge, Roan is set to win the presidency with Barnes as her chief of security, while Marcos continues to run the store in Joe's honor. A news report indicates that halting the Purge has become Roan's highest priority, and that many pro-Purge supporters have taken to the streets in violent protest. The film ends with an ominous shot of the American flag.

Cast

Production

On October 6, 2014, it was announced that James DeMonaco would be back to write and direct the third film, while producers Sebastian Lemercier, Blumhouse Productions' Jason Blum, and Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller, would also be back.[6] On August 3, 2015, it was announced that Frank Grillo would return for the sequel to play Sergeant.[4] On September 10, 2015, more cast was announced, including Betty Gabriel, Edwin Hodge, Kyle Secor, Joseph Julian Soria, Mykelti Williamson, and Elizabeth Mitchell.[5]

Filming

Shooting began on September 16, 2015 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.[7] The main street was transformed into the near-future Washington, D.C.[8] There was also filming in Providence, Rhode Island.[9]

Music

Nathan Whitehead returned to compose the score, having done the music for the first two Purge films. The soundtrack was released on July 1, 2016, to coincide with the release of the film.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Better Angels"2:52
2."Protest"1:22
3."Purge Games"0:51
4."No One Is Exempt"0:42
5."Hope"1:36
6."Lacey Rucker"4:04
7."My Slice of the Pie"3:09
8."Sirens"3:07
9."Risk"1:29
10."Gold Guns"0:53
11."Candy Girl"2:14
12."Photograph"0:51
13."Radio Check"5:23
14."We're On Our Own"1:41
15."Murder Tourists"4:21
16."Senator, Come with Us"2:08
17."Pequeña Muerte"5:06
18."Ground Unit"2:58
19."The Tunnel"3:38
20."The Sacrifice"4:54
21."Deliver Us from Evil"3:00
22."The Guest"4:07
23."One More Move"4:33
24."You Got This"2:01
25."Landslide"1:44

Time Album:68:48

Release

Originally the film was set to be released on Monday, July 4, 2016, to coincide with the Fourth of July, but was moved up to Friday, July 1, 2016.[10]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, the film opened alongside The BFG and The Legend of Tarzan, while facing stiff competition from consecutive-weekend holdover Finding Dory. with opening projections starting at $25 million in its opening weekend.[11] The film grossed $3.6 million from Thursday night previews, outperforming both of its predecessors (the original's $3.4 million in 2013 and The Purge: Anarchy's in $2.6 million in 2014).[12] In its opening weekend, the film grossed an estimated $30.8 million, as strong as the $34 million debut for the original back in 2013 and ahead of the $29 million debut for The Purge: Anarchy back in 2014. While exceeding initial projections, the film is expected to gross $34 million over its three-day July 4th holiday frame and finish 3rd at the box office behind Finding Dory ($41.9m) and The Legend of Tarzan ($38.1m).[13]

Critical response

The Purge: Election Year has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 54%, based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It isn't particularly subtle, but The Purge: Election Year's blend of potent jolts and timely themes still add up to a nastily effective diversion."[14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[3] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[15]

References

  1. ^ "AMC Theatres: The Purge: Election Year". AMC Theatres. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "The Purge: Election Year (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "The Purge: Election Year reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (August 3, 2015). "Frank Grillo to Return for 'Purge 3' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Hipes, Patrick (September 10, 2015). "'Purge 3' Castings: Universal/Blumhouse Pic Gears Up With Additions". deadline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  6. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (October 6, 2014). "'The Purge' Scares Up Third Film With Director James DeMonaco". deadline.com. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  7. ^ "Filming for 'Purge 3' begins in Woonsocket". valleybreeze.com. September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Heim, R.J. (September 17, 2015). "'Purge 3' begins shooting in Rhode Island". turnto10.com. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  9. ^ Smith, Andy (September 10, 2015). "Movie 'The Purge 3' to film in R.I." providencejournal.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  10. ^ Stone, Natalie (January 8, 2015). "'The Purge 3' Gets 2016 Release Date". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  11. ^ Brent Lang (June 16, 2016). "'The BFG,' 'The Legend of Tarzan' Failing to Generate Much Box Office Heat". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (2016-07-01). "Box Office: 'The Purge 3' Expunges 'Legend of Tarzan,' 'The BFG' on Thursday Night". Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  13. ^ "Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  14. ^ "The Purge: Election Year (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  15. ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
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