Frank Grillo's 2016 Horror Movie About A Dystopian USA Pushes Onto Streaming Charts
Frank Grillo's 2016 horror movie about a dystopian USA has pushed onto streaming charts, almost nine years after it was originally released in theaters. Grillo is best known for his action movies, from the grounded events of movies like End of Watch, to his role in the cast of Creature Commandosas Rick Flag Sr., part of the wider DC Universe. The actor is also no stranger to superhero franchises beyond the DCU, having also portrayed Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These roles, however, extend further than just his recognizable action portrayals.
Grillo's multifaceted roles in action films and the superhero genre have also made their way to live-action TV, with him taking on the role of Bill Bevilaqua on the cast of Tulsa King season 2, starring opposite Sylvester Stallone. While the DCU appears to be his current franchise focus, with plans to appear in Superman and Peacemaker season 2, it's not the only ongoing franchise he's lent his talents to. There is a dystopian horror series that he's also well-known for, and one that's suddenly become more popular on streaming this week.
The Purge: Election Year Is Now A Streaming Success
The Film Suddenly Appeared On Streaming Charts
Now, The Purge: Election Yearhas pushed its way onto streaming charts, becoming a success nine years after it was originally released in theaters. The third movie in The Purge film series, Election Year follows Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a presidential candidate who's targeted during the annual Purge after vowing to end the practice upon election. She is defended by Grillo's Frank Barnes, her head of security originally introduced in the previous film, The Purge: Anarchy. Despite a 55% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was a box office success, earning $118.6 million against a $10 million budget.
Now, Flixpatrolreports that The Purge: Election Year has become a streaming hit on Max, growing to Number 10 on the streamer's Top 10 movies in the US for January 21, 2025. This is the first time the movie has managed to make the list, knocking the comedy special Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? off the list. The movie comes in under The Front Room, Jason Bourne, Blue Velvet, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Juror #2, The Accountant, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Den of Thieves, and Max's Number 1 movie as of writing, A Different Man.
What The Purge: Election Year's Streaming Success Says About The Movie
Its Popularity Has Some Alarming Timing
The Purge: Election Year's middling reviews haven't deterred it from becoming a streaming success, arriving with some alarming timing when considering current events. Its popularity comes just one day after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, reflecting some fearful sentiments surrounding his upcoming presidency. While the Grillo-led movie isn't likely to happen in real life, its popularity emphasizes some mindsets in the US at this time, bolstering the film's popularity during a political time of the year.
A sixth movie in The Purge franchise is currently in development, with Grillo set to return as Frank Barnes.
Source: FlixPatrol
The Purge: Election Year
- Release Date
- July 1, 2016
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
- Director
- James DeMonaco
- Writers
- James DeMonaco
- Prequel(s)
- The Purge: Anarchy, The Purge
Cast
Frank Grillo
Elizabeth Mitchell
The third film in the Purge franchise from Blumhouse, The Purge: Election Year, takes place amid a contentious election where two candidates, one who seeks to keep the purge in place and one who seeks to ban the practice across the entire United States. Candidate Roan, who lost her family during a purge night nearly two decades prior, has grown up to run for president to ensure no one ever suffers as she did. However, the current ruling administration intends to keep the status quo – and for the coming purge, it's now open season on government officials.
- Sequel(s)
- The First Purge, The Forever Purge
- Budget
- $10 million
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
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