The Purge movies in order
Five films and a series in one continuity, with the prequel arriving fourth.
Updated 6 August 2026 · 6 titles tracked
Release order is The Purge (2013), Anarchy (2014), Election Year (2016), The First Purge (2018), The Forever Purge (2021).
Chronological order moves one film: The First Purge is a prequel showing the original experiment, so it comes first. Watch in release order anyway — the reasoning is below and it is not the usual "because that is how they came out".
The Purge, in release order
Toggle to chronological on the franchise page to put The First Purge first.
- 1The Purge2013 · The First Three · Essential
- 2The Purge: Anarchy2014 · The First Three · Essential
- 3The Purge: Election Year2016 · The First Three · Essential
- 4The First Purge2018 · The Prequel
- 5The Forever Purge2021 · After the Purge
- 6The Purge2018 · The Series
Why release order beats chronological here
The First Purge explains how the annual purge began. But it was written for an audience that already knew the rules, so it plays its explanations as revelations rather than setup — the horror of the premise lands because you recognise what is being built.
Start there and the reveals are just exposition. The original 2013 film drops you into a world where this is already normal and never over-explains it, which is the far better introduction.
Anarchy is the best one
The first film is a single-house home-invasion thriller, and its premise is much bigger than the film built around it. Anarchy (2014) fixes that by going out into the streets, which is what everyone wanted from the first one.
If you only watch one Purge film, it is this. Election Year (2016) continues directly from it and is the most openly political of the five.
The series is skippable
Two seasons on USA Network, running between the films chronologically. Nothing in the films depends on it and it does not resolve into them.
It is listed on the Purge page for completeness rather than as a recommendation.
The Forever Purge
Set after the Purge has been abolished and a faction refuses to stop. That is the most interesting idea the series ever had, and it is in the weakest of the five films.
It is also the last one — a sixth was announced years ago and has not materialised.
Common questions
What order should I watch The Purge movies in?
Release order: The Purge (2013), Anarchy (2014), Election Year (2016), The First Purge (2018), The Forever Purge (2021).
What is the chronological order of The Purge movies?
The First Purge, The Purge, Anarchy, Election Year, The Forever Purge. But release order is the better watch — the prequel plays its explanations as revelations and works less well first.
Do I need to watch The Purge TV series?
No. Two seasons exist and sit between the films chronologically, but nothing in the films depends on them.
How many Purge movies are there?
Five films plus a two-season television series. The Forever Purge (2021) is the most recent.