What year does The First Purge take place?

The First Purge drops viewers into the commencement of the New Founding Fathers of America’s deadly annual crime spree – but when exactly does it take place?

In the 2010s, writer-director James DeMonaco introduced a brilliant, terrifying dystopian concept to the world: The Purge, a 12-hour period in which all crime – including murder – is totally legal. It’s a series that continually forces viewers to confront themselves; would you hide or roam free in a lawless land?

The franchise kicked off in 2013 with a home invasion thriller, but 2014’s Anarchy brought the chaos of the nightmare to the streets of Los Angeles, with 2016’s Election Year fast-forwarding to 2040 in the timeline and the efforts of a senator hellbent on bringing the tradition to an end.

We know why people believe in the Purge. It’s in the name: by unleashing people’s worst behavior and impulses in a condensed, (un)controlled period, the NFFA claims to have vastly reduced crime and unemployment. But when did it all begin?

When does The First Purge take place?

The first-ever annual Purge takes place on March 21, 2017.

The First Purge is a prequel that hit cinemas in 2018, chronicling the lead-up to the New Founding Fathers’ trial of the Purge – and the terror of the first night it took place.

We don’t have many details concerning exactly why or how the NFF came into power. They formed in 2014 amid social unrest and dire economic instability (presumably in the fallout of the 2008 crash), managing to rise outside the two-party system and earn the nation’s votes.

In 2017, the New Founding Fathers of America managed to pass a 28th Amendment to the US Constitution that permitted a 12-hour event known as The Purge. However, before it was unleashed on the entire country, the party tested it on Staten Island, even offering residents money for staying in their homes and participating. They were also fitted with tracking devices and body cameras to observe their activity, whether they were murdered or did any killing themselves.

In the movie’s post-credits scene, the NFFA’s chief of staff tells the press that turnout was bigger than they even expected. “Staten Island and its citizens have proven that this experiment was necessary. We will, of course, study the results, but I’ve received word from President Bracken that we’re considering a nationwide Purge… as early as next year, one where every US citizen can participate,” he says.

Speaking to IHorror, DeMonaco was asked what inspired him to write the script. “How a country could get to a point where something like the Purge was a viable solution to its problems seemed very interesting to me – especially in these tumultuous times,” he explained.

“Fear would seem to be the motivating factor – as it has in history – for any citizenry to accept such a nefarious solution. And the selling of fear was so integral to the Trump campaign that it seemed to coincide with the NFFA and how they use fear to sell the Purge to America. So, ultimately, I liked the parallels to what was happening today in our country.

“Without giving too much away, what we learn in the First Purge is that America (specifically Staten Islanders who are representing America in this film – as they are part of this initial ‘experiment’), don’t actually embrace the Purge. There is monetary incentive to participate in this scientific experiment as it’s called – hence we see that there’s a financial manipulation of lower income Staten Islanders to be a part of the Purge. Again, we explore government manipulation, especially of America’s most underprivileged.”

The First Purge is available to stream on Netflix now. In the meantime, check out our other horror coverage here.