Summary
The Purgemovies imagine a universe where people can do anything in 12 hours and not suffer any consequences. While intuitive minds might think theft, arson, probably robberies here and there, horror fans immediately know “no punishment for crime” means access to a lot of murder. Interestingly enough,The Purgetries to show vicious murder with its own take on social commentary.
Those who lovedThe Purgemight be itching for new ways of experiencing similar concepts. Surely, horror films that depict humanity’s worst natures outsideThe Purge, right? As it turns out, some films might just fix thatThe Purgeitch.
Updated on 02 July 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With 2021’s The Forever Purge taking the acclaimed dystopian crime film to a horrific future of the 2049 Purge, fans of the franchise may want to try exploring other horror films with similar themes that could test their mettle with the horror genre. As The Purge series explores themes such as the class divide and economic inequality under the guise of game-like mechanics and the normalcy of violence, certain films using similar approaches may be a viewer’s next challenge. These include films where a double-booked renter encounters a dark secret in her apartment, participants in an experiment are forced to explore the notion of survival in exchange for dignity, people with conflicting personalities are forced to work together to stop lethal booby-trapped rooms, and a family that has to fight for their survival against doopelgangers.
Production Companies
Paul Hough Entertainment
At first glance,The Human Racedoesn’t feel like a horror film at all. After all, even its title card makes it seem like a sci-fi action flick. However, its premise certainly makes up for it. After encountering a flash of light, 80 strangers end up in an empty city block. They hear instructions in their head that they must run, never step on the grass, and never get lapped by anyone twice. Soon, racers start dying – some step on the grass, others get lapped twice, and a few force other competitors to die in their stead.
Despite the straightforward premise,The Human Racegives an interesting take on the “sole survivor” genre. Adding to the tension is the fact the lead happens to be an amputee. LikeThe Purge,The Human Racesets impossible odds that the protagonist has to conquer in order to survive.
CBS Films, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, Valhalla Motion Pictures
Traveling theme parks are wonderfully unique attractions that not everyone gets to visit. While a horror theme park might sound tempting for fans of the genre, having a murderous stalker inside will make the thrills a touch too terrifying. InHell Fest, a masked man decidesto stalk a groupof friends and kill them one by one as they enjoy a horror theme park.
Granted,Hell Festisn’t exactly brilliant. However, as withThe Purge, it’s terrifying to see how an “innocent” agenda can turn horrifying at the hands of the wrong people. InThe Purge, the goal to “lower crime rates” resulted in a “policy” that got twisted to “promote” crime and murder. InHell Fest, a horror theme park becomes a serial killer’s avenue to “dress up” and disguise his horrific acts.
Intrepid Pictures, Mandate Pictures, Rogue Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment
Horror films tend to age miserably over time. This isn’t necessarily a case withThe Strangers, with an initial subpar theatrical release that ended up becoming a sleeper hit. In the film, the couple James Hoyt and Kristen McKay visit the former’s isolated summer home. Unfortunately for them, three masked intruders make their way inside their safe abode.
Unlike other horror flicks,The Strangershighlights the sheer horror of death being a random act. Whereasthe usual classic slasherstry to “explain” horrific situations with negative behavior (e.g., alcohol, drugs),The Strangersshow an unsettling truth: death just happens. BothThe StrangersandThe Purgehighlight this idea.
Hal Lieberman Company, Screen Gems
Motels provide safe havens for people who need a place to stay when they’re away from their homes. InVacancy, motels are the best venue to create snuff films. At least, this is what couple David and Amy Fox discover as they see gruesome videotapes and surveillance equipment in their room.
As with other 2000s horror flicks,Vacancyhas its fair share of campiness. However, it’s unique in its reliance on psychological terror to instill a sense of fear in the horrifying nature of being in a strange motel room in the middle of nowhere. And like inThe Purge,Vacancyproves that strangers aren’t always trustworthy – and in a place where survival is a requirement, trust is an expensive commodity.
Columbia Pictures, Original Film
Claustrophobic rooms and death traps aren’t new in the horror genre. Apart fromSaw’s signature traps andCube’s sickening six-sided rooms of horror, not many films made a mark in the “death games” subgenre. Thankfully,Escape Roommakes an interesting twist to the growing phenomenonof its titular activity. After all, instead of escaping a puzzle room for bragging rights, what if actual lives are on the line?
Sadly,Escape Roomdoesn’t completely capitalize on its interesting novel concept of escape room death traps. Given a sequel is in the works,Escape Room 2could hopefully provide engrossing puzzles that viewers may also enjoy. As withThe Purge, viewers ofEscape Roomwill ask “would they have done the same thing?”
A.I.E., Basque Films, Mr. Miyagi Films, Plataforma La Pelicula
Unlike the typicalplatformer game, where players need to jump from one platform to the next to get to the next level, the story ofThe Platformrevolves around lasting as long as possible with only one Platform providing food and nourishment for hundreds of volunteers. In the film’s story, protagonist Goreng volunteers for a social experiment where he’s supposed to last for half a year in “The Pit.” This “tower” of sorts comprises countless floors where one Platform brings food from the top level to the lowest level, and lower-level volunteers eat what’s left on the Platform after it’s been gorged on by higher-level residents.
Goreng finds out that rooms are shuffled at the start of every month, where they might end up somewhere higher and access better food, or someplace lower and eat even less. The film explores the measures Goreng and his roommate Trimagasi will take for survival, all the while pondering whether survival requires their dignity as a price.
Zach Cregger
Almost Never Films, BoulderLight Pictures, Hammerstone Studios, Regency Enterprises, Vertigo Entertainment
Included among horror films said to haveelevated the genre,Barbarianmanages to pull off something akin toThe Purge’s version of social commentary while still maintaining an escalation of frights, surprises, and brutal displays of gory violence. Set in Detroit,Barbarianfollows Tess Marshall as she books a rental house before a job interview. She’s disappointed to find herself double-booked, and ends up staying with the stranger, Keith. Similar to the Sandins in the firstPurgefilm, who found that a stranger sneaking into their home was the least of their worries, so too was Keith for Tess inBarbarian.
As Tess and Keith stay the night in separate rooms, the house they’re in starts to reveal signs of another settler who doesn’t have their best intentions in mind. What follows is a cat and mouse chase that has Tess eventually discover the horrific reality of not just their assailant, but the house’s history.
Cube Libre
Considereda cult classic among horror films, the infamous death traps in the eponymous Cube began in the film of the same name. Released in 1997,Cubetreads the line between sci-fi and horror with its basic premise: characters end up trapped in a cube-shaped room with hatches on each floor and wall. AsCubebegins, an inmate named Alderson wakes up alone and establishes the film’s stakes quickly when the room he enters has a razor wire trap that chops his body to pieces. Unfortunately for the film’s true protagonists, they had no real idea what was going on - and it’s up to them to witness the horrors of the Cube’s traps and attempt to escape.
While their attempts at understanding the Cube’s mechanisms make the film partly a thriller and mystery experience, it’s also the assorted personalities of the characters that add tension to the plot. Soon, paranoia and desperation overtake the characters, and personal agendas begin to make it much harder to escape their captivity. With no food, water, or even a bathroom to support them, escaping in the Cube is inevitably a race against time.
Ghost House Pictures, Good Universe, Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films
InDon’t Breathe, three delinquents attempt to rob a blind Gulf War veteran. Unfortunately for them, the veteran has retained his instincts, and won’t hesitate to kill intruders in his home. As the title implies, the slightest movement could help the villain catch the delinquents in their struggle to escape his house.
While not as engrossing asThe Purge,Don’t Breathedoes explore the former’strope of being at the wrong place, at the wrong time.Don’t Breathepresents a unique twist on the home invasion genre and should be entertaining for fans looking for something new.
HanWay Films, Snoot Entertainment
Slasher films are as predictable as slicing cake, andYou’re Nextknows this. Consequently, it adds dark humor to its repertoire of tricks. InYou’re Next, young Erin and her boyfriend Crispian visit the latter’s family for a reunion. Unsurprisingly, things go wrong, as killers wearing various animal masks break into the house.
Despite the violence and gore,You’re Nextcompensates for its “predictable” nature with fitting humor that will appeal to both horror fans and regular viewers. Moreover,Erin is a fresh take on the struggling horror heroine.
