Summary

  • The Purge movies explore social commentary by examining how the 12-hour period of legalized crime impacts people of different races and classes.
  • Watching The Purge movies in release date order allows the audience to understand references to events and characters as the series progresses and grows.
  • The First Purge serves as a prequel, explaining how The Purge came about, while subsequent movies and the TV series continue to explore the control and consequences of The Purge within the franchise's timeline.

After the first film became an unexpected hit in 2013, it prompted the creation of an ongoing franchise, with a plethora of The Purge movies and series following in its wake. The first Purge movie takes place in a dystopian near future where, thanks to an extraordinarily high level of crime and overcrowded prisons, the newly-installed totalitarian American government sanctions an annual 12-hour period once a year in which all crime is legal. As the series progressed, it follows various Purges across the country and even tracked the origins of the very first Purge.

More than just pure horror-thrillers, The Purge movies examine how the 12-hour period of time impacts people of different races and classes differently, and make less-than-subtle social commentary. The release of The Forever Purge in 2021 added even more complications to The Purge movies' ever-expanding timeline and offered an even deeper inspection of the complicated society shown in the movies. While they typically stand alone as an excellent horror series, the order of The Purge movies can be viewed in several different ways.

The Purge Movies In Release Date Order

Various purgers in masks lift an American flag in The Purge
  • The Purge (2013)
  • The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
  • The Purge: Election Year (2016)
  • The First Purge (2018)
  • The Purge television series (2018-2019)
  • The Forever Purge (2021)

As the general story within the Blumhouse horror movie franchise isn't terribly complicated, very little is lost when watching The Purge movies in release date order. Watching them in the way they were released ensures that the audience understands references to events and characters as the movie goes on, and it's a fun opportunity to see the series progress and grow over its near-decade lifespan.

Related: Will There Ever Be A Purge 6?

The Purge (2013)

Purgers wear creepy masks in The Purge 2013
  • The Purge is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu

Kicking off The Purge movies with a bang, 2013's The Purge is surprisingly simple compared to the extravagant heights that the franchise would eventually reach. The privileged Sandin family have The Purge brought to their doorsteps when a vicious band of killers attacks their home on Purge night. Stars Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey gave stellar performances which elevated the simple horror story. Without all the bells and whistles, The Purge was able to subtly explore themes of class and privilege without sacrificing any scares.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Purger in The Purge Anarchy
  • The Purge: Anarchy is available to stream on Max

Wasting no time in capitalizing on the success of the first film, The Purge: Anarchy was released only a year later. Out for revenge over the death of his son, Leo (Frank Grillo) plans to go on a spree during Purge night but soon finds himself protecting innocent people caught in the crossfire. Generally considered one of the best films in The Purge franchise, Anarchy raised the stakes while also providing crucial backstory. While the action somewhat overshadowed the horror, it indicated a clear shift in the direction of the series.

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

A purger holds a gun in Purge election year
  • The Purge: Election Year is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu

Ironically released in an actual election year, 2016's The Purge: Election Year presented The Purge movies in a new and highly political light. Leo (Grillo) is hired to protect presidential candidate Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) who is the target of attacks because of her vow to end The Purge if elected. With a heaping helping of fun action and a moderate dose of scares, Election Year continued the gradual elevation of stakes within the franchise and showed that the fascinating world-building of the previous film was a wise choice for the series.

The First Purge (2018)

Purgers in masks look on in The First Purge
  • The First Purge is available to stream on Fubo TV and FX Now

Since the release of The Purge in 2013, it was always a horror film that needed a prequel to explain what came before, and 2018's The First Purge arrived to answer the audience's abundant questions. The New Founding Fathers party decides to test their sociological theory out on the residents of Staten Island by allowing them to commit any crime they choose for 12 hours. Despite expanding the lore of The Purge movies, The First Purge was a simplification of what had been seen in the previous two films. While nothing about it was earth-shattering, The First Purge delivered on what it promised, with a hint of political satire.

The Purge Television Series (2018-2019)

Purgers gather in a bar in The Purge show
  • The Purge is available to stream on Hulu and Peacock

Not content with cleaning up at the box office, The Purge franchise made the jump to the small screen in the form of the short-lived TV series. The show explores various characters as they fight, hide, or flourish during the countries annual Purge night. While the series brought the fun of the movies on a smaller scale, it had a hard time finding its footing as it jumped from character to character with little connection. The Purge series was canceled before season 3, and it never really established its own identity within the franchise.

The Forever Purge (2021)

A purger rides a horse in The Forever Purge
  • The Forever Purge is available to stream on Max

Reducing the scale of The Purge movies a bit after the last few installments, The Forever Purge reintroduced themes of class which had fallen to the wayside a bit. Juan (Tenoch Huerta) works as a ranch hand for the wealthy Tucker family and must band together with his employers when a band of killers attacks the ranch the day after Purge night. Addressing a question that had plagued the franchise from the start, The Forever Purge finally introduced the idea that the delicate balance of The Purge could fall at any moment. As such, the movie was much scarier than earlier films, but was packed with missed opportunities.

RELATED: The 10 Best Characters In The Purge Franchise

The Purge Movies In Chronological Order

Purgers gather on the street in Purge Anarchy
  • The First Purge (2018)
  • The Purge television series (2018-2019)
  • The Purge (2013)
  • The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
  • The Purge: Election Year (2016)
  • The Forever Purge (2021)

As there are only two movies in the franchise considered to be prequels by release order, it's not too difficult to watch The Purge movies in chronological order. While it was released in the middle of the series, The First Purge is technically the beginning of the franchise based on the in-universe timeline. It's followed by the short-lived television show which is also a prequel, with everything else after sticking to release order.

When taken in chronological order, audiences can witness how The Purge came about in The First Purge, and then watch as the very people in power that built The Purge attempt to control it over the ensuing movies and show. Even if more movies and series are eventually produced, they will fit neatly within the franchise's timeline. The Purge movies aren't terribly complicated, but the fact that they can be approached in different orders makes the franchise a unique specimen among modern horror.