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, written and in some cases also directed by James DeMonaco, who was inspired by the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “Return of the Archons”. The films feature a seemingly normal, crime-free United States in the near future. However, the country is a dystopia that 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 of the films in the series. A fifth installment, The Forever Purge, premiered on July 2, 2021. In addition to the films, the franchise spawned a twenty-episode television series that premiered on September 4, 2018, and concluded on December 17, 2019; DeMonaco wrote its pilot episode. The franchise has received a mixed critical reception, primarily for the script and clichéd storylines, but was praised for the concept, acting, style, and action sequences. The franchise has grossed over $450 million in total, against a combined production budget of $53 million.