Today’s Prayer Focus
Copyright, Universal Pictures

The Purge: Election Year

also known as “The Purge 3,” “12 Horas Para Sobreviver - O Ano da Eleição,” “12 Horas Para Sobrevivir: El Año De La Elección,” See all »
MPA Rating: R-Rating (MPA) for disturbing bloody violence and strong language.
Moral Rating: not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Sci-Fi Action Horror Sequel
Length: 1 hr. 45 min.
Year of Release: 2016
USA Release: July 1, 2016 (wide—2,700+ theaters)
DVD: October 4, 2016
Copyright, Universal Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures Copyright, Universal Pictures
Relevant Issues

What is this film’s ideological agenda?

appalling content of some movies produced by political Liberals

murder

sin and the fall of man

goodness and righteousness

Politics

MORALITY—What part should morality play in politics? Answer

CHARACTER—Does character matter in political leaders? Answer

VOTING—Do Christians have an obligation to vote? Answer

FILM VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

Featuring Frank Grillo … Sergeant
Elizabeth Mitchell … Charlene “Charlie” Roan
Mykelti Williamson …
Ethan Phillips … Chief Couper
Raymond J. Barry … Caleb Warrens
Edwin Hodge …
Kimberly Howe … School Girl #4
Terry Serpico … Earl
Kyle Secor …
See all »
Director James DeMonaco — “The Purge: Anarchy” (2014), “The Purge” (2013)
Producer Blumhouse Productions
Platinum Dunes
See all »
Distributor
Distributor: Universal Pictures. Trademark logo.
Universal Pictures

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “Expanding the universe introduced in the franchise, Universal Pictures’ ‘The Purge: Election Year’ reveals the next terrifying chapter that occurs over 12 hours of annual lawlessness sanctioned by the New Founders of America to keep this country great.

It’s been two years since Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from a regrettable act of revenge on Purge Night. Now serving as head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), his mission is to protect her in a run for president and survive the annual ritual that targets the poor and innocent. But when a betrayal forces them onto the streets of D.C. on the one night when no help is available, they must stay alive until dawn… or both be sacrificed for their sins against the state.

Once again returning to collaborate with franchise creator James DeMonaco on ‘The Purge: Election Year’ are the series’ producers: Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum (‘Insidious’ and ‘Ouija’ series, ‘The Visit’), Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and ‘Ouija’ series, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’), and writer/director DeMonaco’s longtime production partner, Sébastien K. Lemercier (‘Assault on Precinct 13,’ ‘Four Lovers’).”

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Extreme

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Comments from young people
Negative—The whole movie is predictable from start to finish. Dude protects the presidential candidate, they end up in trouble multiple times, almost died a few times, meet some good people, the people help them, and in the end everything is hunky dory. The pro-purgers kept pushing the “It’s your godly duty to purge,” “purify yourself by purging,” and “Purge yourself of your sins”. Like Yahweh is okay with murder or something. For the language, more than 30 f-words and a dozen s-words are joined by a handful of uses each of “a**,” “b**ch,” “h***” and “d**n.” Also, hearing several extremely crude slang references to genitalia and oral sex.

For the violence, implements inflicting death include: guillotines, knives, swords, axes, fire, bombs, gunshots and arrows. Victims are accordingly decapitated, slashed, hacked, stabbed, incinerated, burned, shot and tortured. Throats are cut, heads explode, and blood splatters and gushes freely. Some unfortunate victims even get strapped helplessly to the front of speeding cars to be used as human battering rams. I would never recommend this to anyone to watch and would never watch it again.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
Ali, age 18 (USA)
Movie Critics
…bloody liberal propaganda… ham-handed satire of conservatives, it is unintentionally dead-on about how liberals think. [1/4]
Kyle Smith, New York Post
…offers a campaign platform of blood lust…
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
…DeMonaco’s film is, first and foremost, a liberal rallying cry that makes no bones about its allegiance. The Minister and his cohorts are conservative Christian crazies who stage ritualistic murders in cathedrals (and, upon purging, share looks full of barely suppressed homosexual desire), and George Washington is appropriated as a symbol of vicious villainy.…
Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
…As a liberal, anti-gun, pro-social services, horror hound, I was poised to, at minimum, like THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR. I mean, the story-line of the film follows a group of ethnically diverse women and men… banding together on Purge Night to protect a female senator/ presidential candidate… so she can overthrow a violent, Christian, capitalist government regime. A lot of the heroes are poor, and some are even strong women… I should’ve been eating this flick up like a plate of vegan nachos sprinkled with liberal gold. Yet, sadly, as the audience clapped and cheered while another entitled teenager was plowed over by a volunteer-run ambulance, I wasn’t able to join in their righteous glee. Even when the film’s antagonists became the kind of villain I hate the most (rich, white, Christian, baby-boomers), I just could not care. …
Heather Marie Bartels, WatchPlayRead
…“Purge” appropriates the symbols of America to bash not only American ideals but Christianity…
Mairead McArdle, NewsBusters
…This movie is an ugly provocation… only a truly miserable and, yes, hypocritical film tsk-tsks with one hand what it offers with the other. …
Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com
…festive violence… reliant on scenes of sadism and depravity… [2½]
Stephen Whitty, ArtiSyndicate
…A speculative but frightening political scenario… unabashedly reveals its B-thriller origins… rewardingly more complex action sequences and well-focused set pieces that are both efficiently executed and visually engaging.
Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
…The third installment in writer-director James DeMonaco's action franchise is the slightest… [2/4]
Rafer Guzmán, Long Island Newsday
…dark political satire… the concept is actually more provocative than the execution…
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
…pitting [a female] blonde Senator Charlie Roan… versus a blustery Trump avatar. (…composed of spare parts from Mitt Romney, John McCain and various GOP silver foxes—he might as well be called R.E. Publican.) …Election Year’s only real stance—besides be sure to vote in November—is that America is violence. …
David Fear, Rolling Stone
…gory and brilliant… “The Purge: Election Year” is Trump’s America fully realized… Sorry (not sorry) but it's funny to watch a chainsaw-wielding maniac in a teddy bear costume get blown away. … [3/5]
Travis Hopson, Examiner
…shrewd exploitation. To wit: Any film combining an indictment of false religiosity with an indictment of violence-solves-violence political pandering in a single line of dialogue — “These weapons have been cleansed with holy water!” — is OK by me. And you know? I can name a long list of 2016 films “The Purge: Election Night” is better than… [3]
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

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