Halloween might be over, but people are still in the mood for some frights — and bloodshed.
That explains why The Purge: Anarchy crashed Netflix‘s Top 10 movies chart after it was added to the streamer on November 1. Currently, it is more popular than the anime juggernaut, KPop Demon Hunters.
The Purge: Anarchy expands the original film’s high-concept premise of “once-a-year legal crime” into the streets, rather than keeping it confined to the home.
Is The Purge: Anarchy worth the watch? Watch With Us argues why you should give the sequel a shot.
‘The Purge: Anarchy’ Expands on Its Initial Premise in an Interesting Way
With a bit of a boost in its budget, The Purge: Anarchy is allowed a bit more creative leeway and world-building. The first Purge film boasted an intriguing premise: for one day a year in the United States, all crime is legal for twelve hours. What would you do? What would other people do? The idea has a lot of possibilities, but the first Purge film is really just a simple home invasion horror, not unlike The Strangers.
In its sequel, The Purge actually goes beyond the frustratingly uncreative confines of a house and goes out into the world on Purge Night, allowing audiences to see what the Purge is actually like. Not only that, but director and writer James DeMonaco depicts how different socioeconomic classes of people experience the Purge differently — something touched on in The Purge but not expanded on in a meaningful way.
It’s A Lot More Fun Than the First Film
The Purge follows patriarch James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his wealthy family as they shelter in place during the Purge within the safety of their highly fortified mansion, yet still find themselves tormented by ruthless attackers. While there’s something to be said for the fact that even their wealth can’t protect them, The Purge is fairly toothless and fails as an effective home invasion thriller as well.
By bringing its sequel outside, The Purge: Anarchy becomes an immediate step up from its predecessor. Not only does it depict how different kinds of people are forced to experience the Purge in different ways (cops, the lower-class, the homeless), but it’s also just fun to see some genuine world-building, which makes for more interesting character dynamics, set-pieces, and an all-around more engaging and exciting film.
‘The Purge: Anarchy’ Is a Great Showcase for Frank Grillo
You might not know Frank Grillo by name, but you’ve probably seen him in films before. He’s made a career out of being a consistent standout in small or supporting parts, like in Billions, Peacemaker, The Shield, most recently in Superman (2025), and as Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In The Purge: Anarchy, Grillo is finally given a lead part, and he wields it well.
While forced to work with some fairly clunky dialogue, Grillo plays Leo Barnes — an off-duty cop who wants to use the Purge to enact revenge on the man who killed his son. Ultimately, he ends up being a protective figure for some vulnerable innocents such as a mom (played by Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter, and he’s a commanding presence. The Purge: Anarchy proves Grillo’s ability to be a leading man. Despite how cringey much of his lines are, Grillo’s Barnes is easy to root for in no small part because of the actor portraying him.
‘The Purge: Anarchy’ Is More Timely Than Ever
The Purge: Anarchy is certainly not the most intelligent or most profound thought experiment, but it’s actually trying something this time. In The Purge, the government touts the effectiveness of the Purge by pointing to its seeming ability to reduce unemployment and crime. In reality, it’s because the Purge lays waste to the lower class, who cannot protect themselves as well as the rich. The lower classes fight one another, while the rich sit back and watch.
Thus, The Purge shows a world in which the upper classes are quite intentionally annihilating the poor. Ultimately, the lower classes are too busy fighting one another that they are blind to the fact that they could utilize the Purge to their advantage by enacting a genuine revolution. It’s a fitting — if somewhat obvious — allegory for the very world that we live in.
Stream The Purge: Anarchy now on Netflix.
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