Every Purge Movie, Ranked
3. 'The Purge' (2013)
Unlike a lot of horror franchises that peak early and overstay their welcome, "The Purge" is one of those cases where the first film in the series is also the weakest. The concept was and still is great, to be sure. But that concept isn't used to its fullest here. By confining the entire plot to one home under siege from murderous neighbors, viewers never really get a full sense of the Purge and its impact on American society. It doesn't help that the protagonists (including normally dependable actors like Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey) are so obnoxious that you might find yourself wishing they just get themselves Purged.
2. 'The Purge: Election Year' (2016)
If the original movie was a little too small for its own good, that's not a problem for the latter two entries in the franchise. "Election Year" brings back Frank Grillo and Edwin Hodge's heroic characters as they fight to protect a rogue US Senator (Elizabeth Mitchell) intent on bringing an end to the Purge once and for all. The film hit months before the contentious election of 2016, and it's a little too glib in its attempts to satirize current US politics. Still, there's plenty of fun and carnage to be had in this satisfying finale to the original trilogy.
1. 'The Purge: Anarchy' (2014)
The second entry in this franchise succeeded in addressing the two most glaring flaws of the original -- the lack of likable protagonists and the overly narrow scope. This time around, the film focuses on Frank Grillo's troubled cop, Leo Barnes, as he struggles to protect a mother and daughter during a particularly vicious night of Purging. "Anarchy" offers a better sense of what it's like to be an ordinary civilian trapped in this wide-scale carnage, and its scares are all the more effective as a result.
