How to watch

The Purge Movie Watch Order in the correct order

How to watch The Purge movies in order

Last updated: April 15 2026

Written by: ChronoChris

The Purge franchise is a chilling dystopian horror series set in a near-future America where all crime — including murder — is legal for one night each year. With five films exploring different perspectives on the same terrifying event, the watch order shapes how the world-building unfolds.

Created by James DeMonaco, The Purge is one of horror's most inventive modern franchises. What began as a claustrophobic home-invasion thriller quickly expanded into a full-blown action-horror saga examining class, race, and political power through the lens of America's most terrifying night. Each film broadens the scope, moving from a single suburban home to city streets to the halls of government — and then back to the origins of the Purge itself. The franchise rewards viewers who watch in the right order, as the political commentary deepens with each entry.

🕐 Release Order

Release order is the recommended way to watch The Purge for the first time — it follows the natural escalation of scope and stakes that the filmmakers intended.

  1. The Purge (2013)
  2. The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
  3. The Purge: Election Year (2016)
  4. The First Purge (2018)
  5. The Forever Purge (2021)

Interestingly, The First Purge is a prequel that explains how the annual tradition began — which means there's a compelling case for watching it fourth in release order but first in story chronology.

📖 Story Chronology

Chronologically, The First Purge serves as an origin story and takes place before all other films. The main trilogy then follows, with The Forever Purge acting as a potential series finale set furthest in the future.

  1. The First Purge (2018) — the origin of the first ever Purge night
  2. The Purge (2013) — one family's nightmare during a Purge night years later
  3. The Purge: Anarchy (2014) — survival on the streets during the Purge
  4. The Purge: Election Year (2016) — a senator fights to end the Purge
  5. The Forever Purge (2021) — the Purge refuses to end at sunrise

Which Order Should You Choose?

For first-time viewers, release order is the way to go. Starting with the original Purge drops you into the franchise's claustrophobic roots and lets you discover the lore organically. The prequel The First Purge is better appreciated once you already understand how the world works, making its shocking origin story hit harder. Horror fans looking for a rewatch can try chronological order for a fresh perspective — seeing how the Purge was born before watching it spiral into societal collapse is a genuinely different experience.

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