The Purge is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, which are written and in some cases also directed by James DeMonaco, who was inspired by a Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “The Return of the Archons”.

The films present a seemingly normal, crime-free[citation needed] America in the near-future. However, the country is a dystopia which observes an annual event known as “the Purge”, in which all crime, including murder, is decriminalized for a 12-hour period.

The franchise began in 2013 with The Purge, directed by creator DeMonaco, who also directed two of the sequels and wrote the screenplays for all films in the series. A fifth installment, The Forever Purge, was released on July 2, 2021.

In addition to the films, the franchise has spawned a twenty-episode television series which premiered on September 4, 2018, and concluded on December 17, 2019; DeMonaco wrote its pilot episode.

The franchise has received a mixed critical reception, mainly for the screenwriting and clichéd stories, but was praised for the concept, acting, style, and action sequences. The franchise has grossed over $450m overall, against a combined production budget of $53m.

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