Movie

The First Purge

2018 · 97 min

A tense, violent siege that mixes social commentary with survival action, leaving you uneasy and adrenalized.

Directed by: Gerard McMurray
Genres: Action, Horror, Thriller
Starring: Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade

Tagline: Witness the birth of an American tradition.
Overview: To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Stream in the UK

Netflix

More options Data from JustWatch

Directed by: Gerard McMurray
Genres: Action, Horror, Thriller
Starring: Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: darkstrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 3 of 3
bleakstrength 2 of 3
satiricalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: relentless, 4 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: violence
class
survival
corruption
power
Places: big city
home
Era: near-future
Audience: adult
Form: serialised
Content intensity: Gore strong
Language strong
Violence strong
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	8
Horror	6
Humour	2
Realism	4
Romance	2
Tension	8
Darkness	8
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	6

Titles like The First Purge

Movie

The Purge: Election Year

2016

A tense, violent siege thriller that mixes survival horror with blunt political anger, rarely letting up.

Same writer: James DeMonaco · Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and survival

Also: Same writer: James DeMonaco
Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 109 min

Details

The Purge: Election YearHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

The Purge

2018–2019

A tense, grim thriller that keeps you on edge with its dystopian violence and moral dilemmas.

Same writer: James DeMonaco · Dark, tense · about violence and survival

Also: Same writer: James DeMonaco
Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 2

Details

The PurgeHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Snowpiercer

2013

A claustrophobic, brutal thrill ride through a train that becomes a microcosm of societal injustice, with shocking violence and dark satire.

Dark, tense, relentless · about class and survival

Via: dark
tense
class
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 127 min

Details

SnowpiercerHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Battle Royale

2000

A brutal, high-stakes survival thriller that is relentless and emotionally draining, with shocking violence and a satirical edge.

Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and survival

Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 114 min

Details

Battle RoyaleHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Resident Evil

2026

A relentless, claustrophobic nightmare that rarely lets up, blending body horror with desperate survival.

Dark, tense, relentless · about survival and corruption

Via: dark
tense
survival
corruption
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 94 min

Details

Resident EvilHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Squid Game

2021–2025

A garish, merciless pressure cooker that turns playground games into moral horror and keeps you braced for the next elimination.

Dark, tense, relentless · about class and survival

Via: dark
tense
class
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 3

Details

Squid GameHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Raid

2012

A breathless, bone-crunching descent into claustrophobic chaos, where every floor brings a new fight and the tension never lets up.

Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and survival

Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 101 min

Details

The RaidHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Sicario: Day of the Soldado

2018

A grim, tense descent into moral fog, with brutal set pieces and a pervasive sense of dread.

Dark, tense · about violence and survival

Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 122 min

Details

Sicario: Day of the SoldadoHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

John Wick: Chapter 2

2017

A sleek, brutal ballet of gunfire and neon where every fight is precise, punishing and stylishly relentless.

Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and power

Via: dark
tense
violence
power
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 122 min

Details

John Wick: Chapter 2Hidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Dredd

2012

A brutal, claustrophobic action ride that rarely lets up, with stylish slow-motion violence and a grimly efficient hero.

Dark, tense, relentless · about violence and survival

Via: dark
tense
violence
survival
Pacing: relentless
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 96 min

Details

DreddHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Escape from New York

1981

A gritty, tense ride through a lawless city, with a cynical hero and a pulsing synth score.

Dark, tense · about survival and corruption

Via: dark
tense
survival
corruption
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 99 min

Details

Escape from New YorkHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Land of the Dead

2005

A grim, socially conscious zombie siege that balances gory action with a bleak look at class and survival.

Dark, tense · about class and survival

Via: dark
tense
class
survival
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 93 min

Details

Land of the DeadHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream

Netflix

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
Rakuten TV
Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: action, horror, thriller
Directed by: Gerard McMurray
Written by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Steve Harris, Mugga, Patch Darragh, Marisa Tomei, Luna Lauren Vélez
Cinematography: Anastas N. Michos
Runtime: 97 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

The First Purge

How it feels

More like this

Titles like The First Purge

Where to watch in the UK

Details