The Order

Between September 1983 and December 1984, the United States of America saw the rise and fall of a Neo-Nazi terrorist organisation, whose main objective was to start a white supremacist revolution in which minorities and perceived enemies would be exterminated. The movement led by Bob Mathews was short-lived, but still injected fear into communities and resulted in the murder of radio talk show host Alan Berg. Directed by Justin Kurzel and written by Zach Baylin, The Order tells the story of the dangerous group and the forces that pledged to bring them down.

Taking inspiration from Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s novel The Silent Brotherhood, The Order takes us to Washington State, where a string of violent crimes in the Pacific Northwest leads veteran FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) to investigate the white supremacist group and their plans to overthrow the federal government. Chasing a trail of bank robberies orchestrated by Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), Husk finds himself thrust into the centre of a growing storm of social and racial politics in the lonely outlands he patrols.

On the face of it, The Order is a cat and mouse story between Law and Hoult, the police versus the rebels, good versus bad, but it is the endearing performances of both men that bring this restrained tale to life. Hoult continues his hot streak of movies in the United States with his unnerving portrayal of the neo-Nazi Mathews, and Law presents a character with enough flaws of his own to fill a solo movie. Together the duo does enough to make The Order a solid and tense thriller, even when the writing may be received as too slow and lethargic.

The standout element in this movie is the aesthetic. Director of Photography Adam Arkpaw has left no stone unturned when creating an immersive world that will transport you back to 1970/80s America. The film has an almost classic quality to it of a similar ilk to the British drama The Professionals and Sidney Lumet’s Serpico starring Al Pacino. What we see is a drawn-back, incredibly raw setting that submerges you into the lives of the characters, the cold and unsettling actions of Mathews, Husk’s nosebleeds – so vivid you can almost smell the blood. Combined with an eerie score, this attention and world-building makes The Order a highly engaging drama about people, rather the gangbusting action.

While it may not be Kurzel’s best work to date, The Order delivers a chilling message that remains relevant even in today’s world, reminding us that in current politics, the fight against fascism continues.

Guy Lambert

The Order is released nationwide on 27^th December 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Order here: