….Incoming reports show this year’s Purge has been the most successful to date, with the most murders committed

It is rare that a series of films, let alone horror films are good through the duration of their chapters. There is usually a sharp decline in storytelling and usually by the time the series dies, fans find themselves apologizing for it. Anyone who like the first Paranormal Activity can’t enjoy the direction the franchise has taken. The Purge series has managed to be enjoyable and interesting with each new film. With a fourth film in the works, this series continues to expand on a universe that the viewer would like to see more of.

When The Purge was released in 2013, I was pretty enthused about it. The entire dynamic of this world interested me. Citizens living in a place where a government sanctioned night of crime was encouraged.  It sounded like all the good parts of both Star Trek and the Twilight Zone. I wasn’t too into this movie when I saw it the first time, but with each subsequent viewing I have enjoyed it more and more. While it plays like a pretty standard home invasion movie, as the series has expanded it serves as a unique window into this world.

In the second movie, Anarchy the audience finally sees the violence and mayhem from a first person perspective. Taking place one year after the first film, it leads our newly introduced protagonists through the Los Angeles streets. You see the depravity on a scale only hinted at in the first movie. Seeing the monstrous things humans will do to one another when they are legal really forces the viewer to think. In my estimation this is the strongest film of the series.

The latest movie, Election Year has garnered the most critical and commercial success. Taking place eighteen years after the previous film, this one delves into the ruling structure of this world. It shows the motives of administration and the twisted turn someone who has grown up in a world of purging can be like. I wasn’t too fond of the ending, but the ideas they throw at the viewer are astounding. This is the most thought provoking and sentimental of the series.

All in all, these movies are great at getting you to care about the characters involved and putting them into a suspenseful environment. Danger is only a step away and anyone can be your undoing. The antagonists are portrayed as both menacing and diabolical. They truly push the plot along and waiting for the next image of savagery keeps you engaged. These films are very enjoyable and I look forward to the next offering in the story. These are certainly worth your time.

Just remember all the good the Purge does.

Cody Jemes is the co-host of the Bored Shenanigans podcast available via iTunes and Stitcher. See more of his articles here. Also enjoy his poetry blog here  or download his e-book here. Be sure to follow Bored Shenanigans on Twitter or Facebook.