The Purge movies in order
There are five Purge films and one two-season TV series. Release order is the recommended watch: The Purge, Anarchy, Election Year and The Forever Purge run along one timeline from 2022 to 2049, and each film has a mostly new cast, so nothing is lost by taking them as they came out. The First Purge is a prequel set in 2016, and the TV series sits between Anarchy and Election Year; both are optional on a first run.
Release order at a glance
The order, with notes
| # | Title | Year | Runtime | Type | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Purge | 2013 | 85 min | Main film | Start here. Set in 2022, the first Purge night shown in the series. |
| 2 | The Purge: Anarchy | 2014 | 104 min | Main film | Set in 2023, one year after the first film, with a new cast; introduces Leo Barnes. |
| 3 | The Purge: Election Year | 2016 | 110 min | Main film | Set in 2040. Leo Barnes returns from Anarchy. |
| 4 | The First Purge | 2018 | 97 min | Spin-off | Prequel set in 2016, before the first film, with a new cast. Optional on a first run. |
| + | The Purge (TV series) | 2018 | 20 parts | Series | Two self-contained seasons on USA Network, set between Anarchy and Election Year. Optional. |
| 5 | The Forever Purge | 2021 | 103 min | Main film | Direct sequel to Election Year, set eight years later in 2048 and 2049. |
Runtimes are theatrical cuts. Source: Wikipedia film pages, checked 14 Oct 2026.
Where to start: Start with The Purge (2013). It is the shortest film, it sets up the annual Purge night that every later entry is built on, and it needs nothing else.
Chronological order
Hollow dots are spin-offs and series. Dates are story settings where the films state them, otherwise release years.
How many The Purge movies are there?
Coming soon
Change log
- 14 Oct 2026 — Page created and checked against Wikipedia.