The Purge: Election Year

Set during a presidential election cycle, the city braces for another Purge night as the government tightens its grip. Leo Barnes, a former police sergeant who now heads security for Senator Charlie Roan, supports her bid to end the annual purge. As night falls and chaos erupts, Barnes and Roan are thrown into the dangerous streets where they must survive amid organized danger and lawlessness. The film keeps its focus on a tense cat and mouse dynamic that tests loyalty and resourcefulness under extreme pressure. The mood stays claustrophobic and relentless, blending brutal action with sharp social subtext about class and governance today. Night sequences highlight quick decisions under pressure and the fragile line between safety and chaos for everyone.

Directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge: Election Year expands the franchise with a political edge. Released in 2016, it sticks to a lean 10 million budget while continuing the series' provocative concept and keeps the tone brisk and topical today.

Worldwide, the film grossed 118,587,880 on a 10,000,000 budget, signaling a solid return for a mid budget horror thriller and a strong performance within the Purge franchise, appealing to fans of political horror and high intensity action for broad audiences.

The Purge concept has become a recognizable touchstone in horror and political thrillers, with Election Year reinforcing the series' blend of on screen chaos and public spectacle. The film contributed to ongoing conversations about surveillance, democracy, and fear driven by catastrophe and social division in modern politics and cultural discourse.

Critics framed the movie as a tighter political action entry that blends brisk sequences with sharper commentary on power, inequality, and moral choices under strain. The result lands as a propulsive thriller that invites debate about civic responsibility, leadership, and how fear can shape collective behavior in crisis today everywhere.