You’d think a franchise about a government-sanctioned murder holiday would be pretty straightforward. It isn’t. James DeMonaco’s dystopian universe has ballooned from a single, claustrophobic home invasion thriller into a sprawling political epic that spans decades. If you try to watch the purge in order based on when the movies actually hit theaters, you’re going to be bouncing around the timeline like a pinball. It’s messy. One minute you’re watching a seasoned Rick Otis fight for his life in a high-tech future, and the next, you’re back in a grainy 2017 seeing how the whole bloody mess started on Staten Island.
Honestly, the "right" way to watch depends on whether you care about the mystery or the history. Most fans stumble into the series with the 2013 original, but that’s actually the middle of the story. If you want to see the rise and fall of the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) as it actually happened, you need a chronological roadmap.
The Genesis of the Annual Purge
Everything starts with The First Purge (2018). Even though it was the fourth movie released, it’s the definitive ground zero. The year is 2017. The United States is collapsing under record-high unemployment and a total economic meltdown. The NFFA, a third-party political group, seizes power and teams up with sociologist Dr. May Updale to test a theory. They claim that humans are inherently violent and need a "catharsis" to stay civilized for the rest of the year.
It’s a lie.
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The first experiment is localized. It stays on Staten Island. What’s fascinating—and often overlooked—is that the citizens didn't actually want to kill each other at first. They just had block parties. The NFFA had to send in disguised mercenaries to start the violence just to prove the experiment "worked." It’s the most overtly political entry in the series, showing that the Purge wasn't a natural social evolution but a calculated tool for population control and economic cleansing of the poor.
Moving Into the Mainstream Madness
Fast forward to 2022. This is where the 2013 film The Purge sits. It’s a tight, sweaty movie. Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a guy who got rich selling security systems to people terrified of the very holiday he profits from. By this point, the Purge is a national institution. It's "civilized." People have "Purge parties" and eat fancy dinners while the streets run red outside.
This movie is small-scale, but it sets the stakes. It introduces the idea of the "polite" Purger—wealthy, entitled people who believe it is their right to "cleanse" their souls.
Then comes 2023. This is the setting for The Purge: Anarchy (2014). If the first movie was a bottle film, this is the one that breaks the glass. We see the city. We see the "Big Daddy" trucks—government-funded death squads roaming the streets to keep the body count high. We also meet Leo Barnes, played by Frank Grillo. He’s the closest thing this franchise has to a protagonist. He’s out for revenge, but he ends up becoming a protector. This is arguably the fan-favorite entry because it actually explores the logistics of a city under siege.
The Small Screen and the Political Peak
Between 2023 and 2040, things get blurry. This is where The Purge TV series (2018–2019) lives. It ran for two seasons and actually did a better job than the movies at showing the "day after." What happens to your coworkers when you know they tried to kill you twelve hours ago?
- Season 1 takes place roughly in 2027. It follows several different threads during a single night.
- Season 2 is the real gem for lore nerds. It covers the entire year between Purges. It shows the psychological toll, the forensic investigators who have to stop working the moment the sirens blare, and the "Purge-adjacent" crimes that happen in the off-season.
Then we hit the climax of the original trilogy: The Purge: Election Year (2016). It’s 2040. Senator Charlie Roan is running for president on a platform of ending the Purge. She’s a survivor herself. The NFFA realizes they’re losing the hearts and minds of the people, so they revoke the rule protecting high-ranking government officials. It’s an all-out war. By the end of this film, the Purge is officially abolished.
For a few years, anyway.
The Collapse of the System
The most recent chronological jump is The Forever Purge (2021). The year is 2048. The NFFA managed to claw their way back into power and reinstated the Purge, but they lost control of the monster they created. A massive underground movement decided that 12 hours wasn't enough. They wanted a "Forever Purge."
The United States effectively ends in this movie. Martial law fails. The borders to Mexico and Canada are opened for refugees—a sharp bit of irony from the filmmakers—as Americans flee the chaos of their own making. It’s a bleak, dusty, Western-inspired ending to the current timeline.
Watching the Purge in Order: The Definitive List
If you want to follow the narrative thread from the first experiment to the total collapse of America, this is the sequence you follow. No skipping.
- The First Purge (2018) - Set in 2017. The Staten Island experiment.
- The Purge (2013) - Set in 2022. The Sandin family home invasion.
- The Purge: Anarchy (2014) - Set in 2023. Leo Barnes hits the streets of LA.
- The Purge TV Series Season 1 (2018) - Set roughly in 2027.
- The Purge TV Series Season 2 (2019) - Spans the year between Purges.
- The Purge: Election Year (2016) - Set in 2040. The attempt to vote the NFFA out.
- The Forever Purge (2021) - Set in 2048. The final breakdown of society.
Why the Release Order Still Has Fans
Look, some people hate chronological orders. I get it. There’s a certain mystery to watching the 2013 original and not knowing why the world is like this. When you watch The First Purge later, it feels like a "eureka" moment. You see the origins of the masks, the blue flowers, and the NFFA's propaganda.
However, if you're doing a marathon, the chronological route is much more impactful. You see the technology evolve. You see the NFFA go from a fringe political group to a cult-like dictatorship, and finally, to a failed state. It turns a series of slasher movies into a cohesive "what if" scenario about the fragility of democracy.
The Nuance Most People Miss
The Purge isn't just about gore. If you pay attention to the background radio broadcasts and the posters on the walls in these films, there’s a massive subtext about the insurance industry and real estate. The Purge is an economic tool. In Anarchy, we see that the wealthy literally buy people to kill them in the safety of their own living rooms. This ensures the poor are eliminated while the rich stay safe and "relieved."
Critics like to dunk on these movies for being "low-brow," but they’ve stayed relevant because they tap into a very real anxiety about class warfare. Even the creator, James DeMonaco, has admitted in interviews that the series was inspired by his own feelings about gun culture in America.
What’s Next?
There have been rumors about a sixth movie. Frank Grillo has been vocal about wanting to return as Leo Barnes. The idea is that The Purge 6 would take place several years after The Forever Purge, showing a fractured America divided into different "tribes" based on ideology. It would likely be the furthest point in the timeline yet.
If you’re planning a watch party, keep the lights on. The sound design in these movies—that low, haunting siren—is designed to trigger a fight-or-flight response.
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Actionable Steps for Your Marathon
- Check the Platforms: As of now, the movies are scattered. Some are on Peacock, others on Max. You'll likely need to rent one or two to complete the set.
- Don't Skip the Show: Most people ignore the TV series, but Season 2 is legitimately some of the best writing in the entire franchise. It explains the "Purge economy" in a way the movies never could.
- Watch the Background: Pay attention to the news tickers. They often mention characters or events from other movies that you won't notice if you're just waiting for the next jump scare.
- Start Early: If you're doing the full chronological run, including the 20 episodes of the TV show, you're looking at about 22 hours of content. Give yourself a weekend.
The timeline is a dark reflection of political extremism taken to its literal, violent end. Watching it in sequence makes that descent feel uncomfortably plausible. By the time you hit the credits on The Forever Purge, the "it's just a movie" excuse feels a little thinner than it did at the start. Enjoy the chaos. Keep your doors locked.