
5 Movies that Tapped into the Zeitgeist to Become Huge Hits
"The Purge: Election Year" hits theaters this weekend, and looks like it may break out at the box office. Its success will certainly be due to horror fans coming out in droves for Independence Day thrills, but the film will hope to capitalize on its timeliness as well. The film takes place in the near-future, where a 12-hour lawless period has become an annual, government-sponsored tradition. A U.S. senator who is running for president on the platform of eliminating this tradition becomes hunted over what may be the last "Purge" night of the year.
The movie may strike a nerve with audiences, given that this election year has already become one of the most contentious in recent memory. If this installment of "The Purge" can effectively tap into the feelings of political anger and uncertainty, its box office returns are sure to be huge. And it certainly wouldn't be the first film to tap into the zeitgeist in such a fashion. Here are five movies that saw box office success fueled by the events of the time.















