The First Purge

The First Purge is a 2018 American dystopian action horror film serving as a prequel to The Purge film series and the fourth installment overall. Written by James DeMonaco and directed by Gerard McMurray, it is the first film in the franchise not directed by DeMonaco. It stars Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, and Steve Harris. The film depicts the origins of the annual "Purge": a 12-hour period in which all crime in America is decriminalized as a means to reduce crime for the rest of the year. The event originates as an experiment conceived by a political party called the New Founding Fathers of America and confined to Staten Island with the promise that those who stay on the island for its duration will be paid a large sum of money, but the NFFA are determined to get the results they want by any means necessary. The First Purge was released on July 4, 2018, by Universal Pictures. It grossed over $137 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, but received mixed reviews from critics like its predecessors. The fifth installment, The Forever Purge, was released on July 2, 2021.