From one house to the streets to the wider political arena, The Purge series has managed to balance ideas and violent entertainment effectively through its evolution across the trilogy. Here, in the build-up to an American election that pitches the staunch Purgers (now revealed to be led by a poor-crushing political elite) against Elizabeth Mitchell as Purge-survivor opposition candidate, and whilst politically this film is a very blunt instrument, it builds in differing points of view and plays its effects as if for real, from political machinations down to the impact of shoplifting a candy bar in this fictitious set-up. Early on, Election Year threatens alarmingly to turn into London Has Fallen, but thankfully regains a bit of unpredictability (admittedly alongside a ton of coincidences) and remains interesting through a superb mixed race/gender cast that really invests in the whole idea, and there is much enjoyment to be gained from watching Frank Grillo totally own the role he was seemingly born to play. This film could serve as a more than satisfactory trilogy-closer to an enjoyable franchise, but if it does continue, it will be interesting to see where it heads next time.
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