Parents' Guide to

The Purge: Anarchy

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Stronger characters but weaker ideas in violent sequel.

Movie R 2014 103 minutes
The Purge: Anarchy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Charlie H.
Charlie H. Adult
December 22, 2022
age 14+

An amazing premise falls short in more than one way in this movie!

My big question for not only this movie, but really the whole series is how does someone really mess up a movie series on such a good premise??? I love, love the premise of the whole Purge series, and it's because of that that got me to actually see the series in the first place . . . but as much as the premise is beautiful and interesting, the directors somehow screw the premise that the movie for the good premise turns out to be bad. So the first Purge movie I was okay about, and then I moved to see the Forever Purge which I felt like lost control of what they were doing, so when the 2nd Purge movie came to HBO Max I was excited to see it knowing I didn't have to rent it anymore, so of course when I found out it was on HBO Max I downloaded it and I watched it that very day I found it. But after being excited for seeing this, it got me questioning was the sequel even needed? For me, the best part about this is expanding (I feel like) more on understanding the Purge and what people do then. Because in the first movie in the series they didn't really show the purgining but in this one they did . . . and it's violent and brutal, and thank God we don't have it in real life. Anyway, that's like the best part about this movie besides being somewhat entertained on the killings. Besides that this movie is has no point to even exsist in the movie universe and in the Purge series. This movie felt like a bundle of, "I don't think they know what they're doing" type of thing because I think they actually think they kind of lost track on the movie. And let me just say the twists and turns did not shock me at the slightest due because how predictable they were/I knew they were coming!! I mean, I literally called it, and it happened. I mean, that tells me that I'm catching easily enough on how they use their twists and turns + I have seen these types of things in many of different other movies that I could pretty much see it coming a mile ahead! This movie struggled in a lot of ways to actually make a good enough plot to actually be interesting about. I felt like the plot was just whipped out of nowhere just so they could make a sequel, and not actuallt really putting time or effort to the plot. I mean, premise is the best part but it doesn't work if 90% of the movie doesn't work with the premise. It's either against or for . . . not middle ground, and sadly it fails miserable to do justice to the premise! Pretty much, this movie is a waste of my time, the casts (although, they were quite unmemorable), and the plot/theme itself, and I'm very disappointed on how the sequel turned out to be, because I was expecting just maybe a bit more than from the last Purge they recently made to the first one . . . and I just want to say, I am deeply unsatisfied on what I saw!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
A99
A99 Adult
August 9, 2021
age 14+

Don’t bother watching it.

Don’t bother to watch it. It was such a wasteful 1 hour of my life. Flat movie. Annoying characters. Fight scenes boring. Story boring. I like purge concept. But this one ain’t worth it.
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A year after the previous event, Americans in the year 2023 prepare for THE PURGE: ANARCHY, a night of lawlessness, rampage, and murder that supposedly results in a healthier, happier nation. A waitress (Carmen Ejogo) and her spunky daughter (Zoe Soul) find themselves attacked in their own home. And a feuding couple (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez) are stuck outside after their car breaks down. The vengeance-seeking tough guy (Frank Grillo) winds up rescuing the four of them, reluctantly agreeing to protect them, but remains intent on completing his violent plan. Who will survive when this night is over?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14):
Kids say (46):

Whereas the low-budget original The Purge focused on a stressful situation, this sequel seems to be more interested in sympathetic characters. But the ambiguous theme of the previous movie, the thought-provoking concept of whether the end justified the means, is now gone.

The Purge: Anarchy is more purely black-and-white in its thinking. Here, only rich, evil, greedy people participate in the purge. The movie brings up some surface platitudes about class inequality and pays homage to more inventive movies, but nothing ventures very deep. Upsetting the balance even more is the camera-shaking quality of James DeMonaco's direction. Any time a chase or a shootout is required, the movie simply turns to mush.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Purge: Anarchy's violence. What point is it trying to make? Does the movie celebrate or condemn violence?

  • Does the movie qualify as horror or a thriller? Is it scary? How is it different from or similar to other horror movies? How is it different from or similar to the original?

  • What's the movie's stance on the concept of "the purge"? What are the arguments for or against it?

  • Who are the leaders and followers in this movie? What attributes do they have? Are they admirable? Are they role models?

  • What good deeds are done in the movie? What is their end result?

Movie Details

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