Film Preview: The Purge: Election Year (2016)

Page Revisions:

(February 14, 2016) Original
(May 22, 2016) New Trailer (#2) / New Posters (#2-#8)
(June 26, 2016) New Poster (#9)

Release Date:

July 1, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge.”

Poster Rating: C / C+ / B- / B- (5) / B+

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) It’s clever. Somewhat. We can expect that this is just the first design for the film, but if that’s all there is, I’m not sure it’s going to be that effective.

(#2) This group shot is a minorly frightening affair and isn’t nearly as dark and foreboding as it wants to be. (#3) This is a much more terrifying shot and the very patriotic style of the clothing and gun make for a fascinating statement on the film’s time and setting. (#4-#8) These “character” posters each have a different tagline and while the first two don’t make a lot of sense, the last three are perfectly fitting to the images, which gives the entire series of posters a surreal edge.

(#9) It’s always disappointing to find the best posters are designed for foreign territories and this is a prime example. It’s interesting, detailed and action-oriented. That’s precisely what this series needs.

Trailer Rating: C / B

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Review: (#1) The trailer sets up the story well, but doesn’t give much for fans of the first two films. While some might point to all the pointless violent and almost ritual debauchery, those elements alone don’t make the franchise what it is, which might make it tougher to sell this one.

(#2) The first trailer gave away too much of the film’s central plot. While knowing what the film is about is a good thing, having too many details removes some of the excitement, especially for a series like this. This trailer re-establishes everything that has made these films so fun, the utter free-for-all nature of the “festivities” and the dire stakes involved.