With the smash success of low-budget chiller thriller The Purge last year, Universal has been quick to try to capitalise on that by throwing the sequel into production. The first teaser trailer for what is now called The Purge: Anarchy has arrived online.
You’ll recall the basic concept: in a bizarre, violent future America (next week?), the government comes up with a radical idea to curb crime and social issues. One night a year, all laws are suspended, the emergency services including police, fire and medical are benched and people are free to do exactly what they want for a 12-hour period.
While the first film aimed for claustrophobic tension by spotlighting one family’s nightmare trapped within their seemingly secure house under siege by masked vigilantes, the sequel opens the canvas up a little, following what happens when a young couple (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez) break down outside LA on the worst night possible. Naturally, things turn very dark for them as masked weirdoes haunt their every turn and the violence begins to ramp up…
Audiences were clearly ready for this, even given the incredibly odd concept, which goes even further satirising the country’s attitude to gun violence versus other problems. With James DeMonaco back writing and directing, this one will hit the US on June 20 before making it to the UK on July 2.