The Purge (2018)

The Purge parents guide

Nothing past what a TV-MA promises: real scares and several jump scares.

Scare

Properly scary

Frightening, not just tense.

Jump scares

Several

More than a couple of sudden jolts.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

Moderate

Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.

Language

Strong

Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is The Purge scary?

Yes, properly. The Purge is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is The Purge?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is The Purge rated, and is it OK for kids?

No. It is rated TV-MA, with real scares, several jump scares, and moderate sex and nudity.

What is The Purge about?

Set in a dystopian America ruled by a totalitarian political party, the series follows several seemingly unrelated characters living in a small city. Tying them all together is a mysterious savior who’s impeccably equipped for everything the night throws at them. As the clock winds down with their fates hanging in the balance, each character is forced to reckon with their pasts as they discover how far they will go to survive the night.

Cast and crew

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More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

Lists with the same feel: Most violent and Edge of your seat.