The Purge, which debuted in 2013 and earned a whopping $89 million at the box office, starred big names like multiple Emmy-nominee Lena Hadley and Ethan Hawke. With the initial success of the first film, it was not surprising that the series went on to spawn an entire franchise. The The Purge franchise, which just reached over $500 million at the box office, inspired a TV show on the USA Network, which ran for two seasons. The premise of the franchise follows a night called The Purge, when all crimes, including murder, are permitted. Each film follows a different Purge with a mostly new cast.
Recently, The Purge 6 was announced, shocking fans who were under the impression that the franchise was ending with the fifth installment, The Forever Purge. Director and screenwriter for the first three films, James DeMonaco, has signed on for the untitled next film. Frank Grillo is one of the few to reprise a role in multiple movies within the franchise, including Anarchy and Election Year. Grillo was also one of the first cast members to sign off on reprising his character in the sixth installment.
While fans of the Purge franchise eagerly await more news on the upcoming sixth film, let’s revisit every movie in the franchise. Contrary to many horror franchises, the subsequent films following the first movie received similar or better reviews than their original, so for the rest of this article, the Purge alarm is sounding, allowing for every movie in the franchise to be ranked from best to worst.
5 The First Purge (2018)
The First Purge is the fourth installment in the franchise and is monumentally different from the first three. In this film, the New Founding Fathers of America are hosting an experiment where participants will get paid $5,000 to stay on Staten Island for 12 hours when there are no laws. That's right: this sociological experiment is what created the purpose of the Purge.
Reviews of the origin story were mixed. Most people say the franchise thew this together as a filler, while others say that it was the background missing from why and how to Purge came to be. The film is lined with politics, action sequences, and plenty of blood and gore.
4 The Forever Purge (2021)
In the most recent installment, The Forever Purge, a group of lawless marauders decide that the Purge should never end. In this film, a wild west vibe meets the Purge, creating a dystopian-cowboy thriller. These Forever Purgers are a group of people who think the idea of the Purge is better off as one that does not stop at daybreak but goes on forever. The conclusion of the film had viewers wondering what happens next in the franchise.
Similar to the fourth film, the reviews were also mixed. Viewers were happy to see some political references scaled back to allow for more focus on interesting characters. Having this film take place in Texas as opposed to a city or suburban area was a nice change of pace as well. The storyline was also an interesting take, allowing for the franchise to either end with this film or go on — maybe even to another country?
3 The Purge (2013)
In a future America, overcrowding and crime take center stage. As a way to combat this, leaders have determined that a 12-hour period where all crime is legal, called The Purge, should be instated annually. For the Sandin family, their gated community and sealed doors mark the Purge as just any other night, until their son rescues a man, which angers a group of people wanting to kill him.
2013 gave us the original move in The Purge franchise. When the film came out, the idea of 12 hours' worth of all crimes including murder as legal was a new concept to grasp. Between the acting, plot, and creepy rich guys in masks, the success of this franchise was imminent. While it's hard to put this film as third from the top, the second and third films were able to successfully build on the original and fill in some of the missing holes found in The Purge's first movie.
2 The Purge: Election Year (2016)
The third installment The Purge: Election Year brings back Frank Grillo's police sergeant Leo Barnes, but this time he is a bodyguard to Senator Charlie Roan, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, a presidential candidate who is vowing to eliminate the Purge. Her desire to end the Purge has put a target on her back during the annual Purge. It's up to Barnes to keep them alive after a betrayal lands the two on the streets of D.C during the annual Purge.
It's easy to see how Grillo's character has quickly become a fan-favorite. The franchise is not known for having repeat characters, so for viewers to see someone complete multiple character arcs, gives them someone to root for. Unfortunately for some fans, the heavy emphasis on the 2016 Presidential Election, in real life, made its way into this film in a very apparent way. Besides the political nature, this film's storyline is compelling, edge-of-your-seat, and full of gruesome deaths and traps.
1 The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
The second film in the franchise The Purge: Anarchy brought us Frank Grillo's character, an all-around badass, and the perfect guy to have with you on Purge night. Grillo's character is out to seek revenge himself when he runs into a mother and daughter whose building was attacked by the military. The three of them meet up with a husband and wife who are being hunted by a group of mask-wearing individuals, and together the five-person group must survive the night.
Anarchy and Election Night are both two of the better compelling storylines in the franchise. In this film, the diverse group creates onscreen chemistry between those looking to enact revenge and those who hate the idea of the purge. Connecting the Stranger from the first film to this one was a nice touch on tying the two films together as well.