The First Purge (2018) is a prequel to the Purge series, set in the early stages of the government’s controversial experiment to allow a 12-hour period of lawlessness once a year. The film explores the origin of this brutal tradition, which is initially introduced in Staten Island, New York, as a social experiment designed to reduce crime and unemployment. The experiment is controlled by a government agency that manipulates the event for political and economic gain. The residents of Staten Island are given the choice to participate or leave the island, but things quickly spiral out of control.

As the purge night unfolds, chaos erupts, and the people who remain behind fight for survival. Among them is a community of individuals who band together to resist the violent purge, led by a man named Dmitri. With intense violence and political themes, The First Purge explores how power, manipulation, and class struggles lead to the brutalization of society during a night where no laws are enforced.