The First Purge (2018)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A political party initiates a violent social experiment on Staten Island to test the effects of total decriminalization.
The story
In 2014, following a period of economic crisis, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) becomes the most powerful political party in the United States. NFFA chief of staff Arlo Sabian and sociologist Dr. May Updale announce an experiment on Staten Island where citizens are allowed to release their inhibitions, including murder, for 12 hours. Residents are offered money to stay on the island during the event, while the NFFA monitors all activity via contact lens cameras and tracking devices. As the experiment begins, various residents, including a gang boss and an anti-Purge activist, must navigate the escalating violence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2014, the NFFA becomes the dominant political party in the U.S. Chief of staff Arlo Sabian and Dr. May Updale launch a 12-hour experiment on Staten Island where all crimes are decriminalized. Residents are paid to stay, and monitored by cameras. Gang boss Dmitri Cimber decides to stay in a safe house, while drug dealer Capital A joins the Purge. A rookie named Isaiah is injured by a drug addict named Skeletor and seeks help from his sister Nya, an anti-Purge activist. Nya hides in a church with friends. Skeletor commits the first murder, which goes viral. Isaiah later tries to get revenge on Skeletor but fails to kill him and hides. Dmitri's associates, Anna and Elsa, are sent to kill him but are actually Purgers; Dmitri fights them off. Skeletor captures Nya, but Isaiah stabs him, allowing them to escape. Dmitri's gang eventually ambushes Capital A's crew. At NFFA headquarters, Updale discovers that Sabian sent mercenaries to ensure the experiment's success by murdering civilians to balance wealth. Sabian executes Updale and erases the footage. Dmitri's gang is attacked by these mercenaries. After a series of skirmishes, Dmitri helps Nya's group hide and uses explosives to kill the remaining mercenaries. As the Purge ends, a wounded Dmitri is hailed as a hero. Sabian declares the experiment a success and announces a nationwide Purge for the following year.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gerard McMurray
- Writers
- James DeMonaco · writer
- Cast and characters
- Y'lan Noel; Lex Scott Davis; Joivan Wade; Steve Harris
- Genres
- action; horror; dystopian; crime; thriller; science fiction
- Themes
- Social inequality; Government corruption; Survival; Political extremism
- Tone and mood
- Dystopian; Violent; Tense
- Premise and plot tags
- Prequel; Social Science Fiction; Survival Horror
- Franchise connections
- The Purge
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, similar to its predecessors, though it was a significant box office success for the franchise.
- Production trivia
- It is the first film in the franchise not directed by James DeMonaco.; The film was shot in Buffalo, New York.; The film grossed over $137 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing entry in the franchise.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…