10 Horror Movie Sequels That DITCHED The Horror
6. The Purge: Anarchy
The original The Purge quite clearly assumed the formula of a home invasion horror movie not entirely unlike The Strangers, albeit with an attention-grabbing dystopian twist, given that it takes place in a reality where, one night per year, all crime is made legal for 12 hours.
Yet following the success of the low-budget original, the series' scope was significantly expanded, given that just about everyone wanted to see The Purge going on outside rather than focusing on the comparatively dull premise of a family hiding inside their home.
And so, The Purge: Anarchy basically gave the people what they wanted, largely eschewing the claustrophobic horror of its predecessor for a more sprawling revenge-fuelled action film, in which Frank Grillo plays Totally-Not-The-Punisher as he embarks on a mission to avenge his son's death.
Anarchy's commercial success cemented its more John Carpenter-inspired, action-centric style as the go-to for the series moving forward, and it never really got close to the pure horror of the original film ever again, mostly for the better.