When The Purge was released in 2013, audiences were captivated by the bizarre concept of suspending the majority of laws and emergency services for 12 hours while regular citizens were free to commit crimes. The first movie was such a hit that it inspired an additional five films as well as a short-lived television series. Many fans religiously followed the franchise as the storylines started to blend more with our own reality.
This horror series relies on people believing that individuals of any class, race, or gender, if legally given the opportunity, would go to extreme lengths to "cleanse themselves" from the frustration and anger they have bottled up over the year. While watching the films, one cannot help but ask themself what they would do under the same circumstances. The real horror comes from these conversations. Would you hole up somewhere and pray for the night to be over? Would you sacrifice yourself to help your family? Would you be out on the streets looking to get rid of some anger and hatred?
Check out how The Purge movies rank among one another when it comes to how scary they actually are and the conversations they put in place for audiences everywhere.
5 The Forever Purge (2021)
In the fifth film, The Forever Purge, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) regain their power within the government. For the last eight years, while Charlene Roan was president, Purge night was banned, but with the NFFA back in charge, the holiday is reinstated. Tensions run high during the 12 hours that crime is once again legalized, but after the sirens sound to conclude the holiday, many people across the country do not stop purging.
This film follows several migrant workers as they are hunted down by an American supremacy group that is trying to purge anyone they consider "non-American." The message the writers and directors are pointing at is very clear, and in and of itself is horrifying. However, the execution of the movie falls flat. Character development is sacrificed in the effort to focus more on how the storyline of a dystopian world closely resembles the realities faced in America every day.
4 The Purge (2013)
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Home is where people should feel the safest. It is where families come together to support one another, children can seek comfort in their parents' arms, and teenagers can feel free to express themselves in a variety of ways. This perfect ideal is challenged in The Purge when a sympathetic child lets a stranger take refuge in his family's home during Purge night. A group of masked people show up moments later and approach the house in search of the stranger. The family then has to make the moral decision to give up the man (knowing he will be killed) or risk their own lives against the purgers.
The Purge tackles several terrifying ideas. It reminds audiences that people kill and torture others for fun. It also does a great job at showing how pent-up jealousy between neighbors can turn into justification for murder. By focusing on what a single family endures during the murderous holiday, this first film sets the precedent that no one, not even your teenage daughter's boyfriend, can be trusted throughout the year.
3 The First Purge (2018)
In The First Purge, a prequel to the original film, the NFFA has agreed to implement a social experiment that sociologist Dr. May Updale says should produce results that will help the whole country in the future. Staten Island is chosen as the location for the first ever Purge night, and residents are paid to either stay on the island or actively participate in the lawless night. After the sirens initially sound, government officials watch on cameras how the citizens choose to live through the night. To their dismay, murder does not seem to be a priority for most. The NFFA then sends hired mercenaries to kill citizens in an attempt to push their own agenda to reduce the amount of lower-class citizens. The night quickly becomes chaotic, which is what the NFFA originally wanted.
While watching this film, tensions run high knowing that regular citizens in the movie and in real life are often duped by buzzwords and money while ulterior motives are at play. The fact that the government so easily turned average people against one another is something everyone should fear. The news and media should constantly be questioned, but not everyone is ready for that talk.
2 The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
The Purge: Anarchy is scary for the realities it brings to light of what would very likely happen within 12 hours if America was given the green light to conduct its own Purge night. From family elders selling themselves to be purged by wealthy families for the betterment of their own kin to human traffickers causally walking the streets in search of people to be auctioned off, this film found the dark side of humanity.
Like The First Purge, the second movie in The Purge franchise deals with death squads that were sent out by the NFFA to raise the holiday's body count. However, new and horrifying ideas were created which brings The Purge: Anarchy towards the top of this list. Fans are made to feel helpless as they watch characters who want nothing to do with the holiday get hunted down by different purge groups. Even though they took precautions to be safe during the night, the persistence of others results in a lot of bloodshed and death.
1 The Purge: Election Year (2016)
If you are looking for a scary concept and storyline along with great execution that will have you jumping out of your seat, The Purge: Election Year is what you are looking for. The concept of Purge night is horrifying, and the storyline within the franchise's third film amplifies the fear factor. The movie begins with a family being brutally tortured in a gruesome way on Purge night, and then the timeline jumps to the only surviving family member, Charlene Roan, running for president. She openly campaigns that she wants to put a stop to Purge night, and she gains a strong following. The current members in office, however, do not like her views. They decide to revoke the "cannot harm government officials" rule during the next Purge night.
From the gory kills and the thrilling chases, The Purge: Election Year addresses how corrupt a government can be with the illusion that they are doing what is best for the people. Messages in this film are too close to reality for some places, and yet again, audiences are forced to question what they would do in this situation. How would they vote? Would they join an active rebellion? Would they turn a blind eye to the chaos and move? There are a lot of questions that come out of these films, but few have solid answers.
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