Violence sparks The Purge comparisons

Recent violence during demonstrations on October 17 has drawn comparisons to the dystopian horror franchise The Purge, known as American Nightmare in French. Some social media users have stated that "France has become an American Nightmare" or shared the sound of the famous siren from the film. Others have warned that Halloween night, on October 31, "will be American Nightmare in France."

Overview of The Purge franchise

The Purge is a horror franchise composed of five feature films, released between 2013 and 2021, in which an authoritarian and police state, having come to power after an economic and social crisis, institutes an annual purge in the United States where all horrors are allowed for twelve hours without the risk of being prosecuted. According to the alert in the films, once the siren sounds, all crimes, including homicide, will be legal for the twelve hours that follow.

Reality versus the films

However, this comparison is only loosely faithful to reality. In the franchise, the brutality is instituted by the state itself, and the political dimension of the violence is largely absent, except in the third installment, which shows some brief aggressions targeting figures of power. The majority of demonstrators who have expressed themselves peacefully in recent days are absent from the franchise.

Context of the franchise’s setting

The franchise takes place in the United States, where the culture and legislation around weapons are very different from those in France. This reference from pop culture resembles a large political appropriation campaign orchestrated by the far right. European deputy Marion Maréchal of Reconquête mentioned the films by sharing a video from October 17 in a hall in Douai, captioning it, "This is not an episode of The Purge. This is what the French are experiencing, delivered to the barbarians."

Political use of the franchise

This is not the first time that the franchise has become a political reference. Donald Trump, for example, referred to it in 2024 during a presidential campaign rally, stating that "a really violent day" would help combat crime. The hashtag #BaltimorePurge was widely shared during the riots in Baltimore after the death of a young African American arrested by the police.