Top 5: The Purge Franchise - Ray Taylor Show

August 29, 2021 Ray Taylor

Show topic: 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 America in the near-future. But the truth is that the country is a dystopia which celebrates an annual national holiday known as the Purge, a day in which all crime, including murder, becomes legal for a 12-hour period.

The franchise began in 2013 with The Purge, directed by creator DeMonaco, who 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 generally 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 overall over $450 million against a combined production budget of $53 million.