The Purge franchise’s first film, The Purge, reached cinemas in 2013.
Written and directed by James DeMonaco, The Purge stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, and Max Burkholder. It imagines a near-future United States where the government permits all crime, including murder, during a yearly 12-hour period called the Purge. The story focuses on the Sandin family during one such night after their home security system is breached.
The film was released in the United States on June 7, 2013, and expanded a short speculative premise into a continuing horror-thriller series. Its commercial success led to sequels, including The Purge: Anarchy in 2014 and The Purge: Election Year in 2016.
A common mix-up is confusing the first film’s contained home-invasion story with the wider franchise, which later explores the social and political origins of the Purge. The fictional event itself lasts 12 hours, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.