Written by: Zach Baylin
Starring: Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver
Rating: [3.5/5]
With any group that runs for a long period of time, disagreements from within can cause fissures that grow beyond the control of any strong leader. This happens all of the time, as seen in religion and even the Civil Rights movement. The Order posits what it would look like with a white supremacist movement and wonderfully intertwines it with a good old-fashioned detective story, all resulting in an entertaining movie.
Arriving in Idaho trying to get away from his previous jurisdiction, FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) catches wind of a major compound of white supremacists in the area. It further comes to his attention after a faction of theirs begins robbing vehicles, producing counterfeit currency, and also committing acts of terrorism. This leaves him leaning on local support and trying to get at the root of who sits behind it all.
One of the more fascinating realities we live with and do not address is the sheer number of compounds of white supremacists that live in the Northwest of this country. An area often known for its nature and general progressivism just so happens to also house many neo-Nazis. Quite the juxtaposition, and one many films have depicted, with The Order being another example. In this instance, we see the typical tale of law enforcement trying to contain a group as seen in this film, but through this narrative, we also receive an insight into some of the differences held between the individuals within this very movement.
When a film focuses on these hateful groups, they usually operate as a monolith where their belief system does not carry nuance. An understandable standard given their belief system mostly hinges on carrying vengeful hate towards anyone that does not look like them. However, through the main antagonist of this film, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), and the leader of the compound, Richard Butler (Victor Slezak), some delineation occurs in the ways they seek to approach their line of work. They both seek the same goal of overthrowing the federal government and enacting their race war. Butler believes the best method for accomplishing their goal lies in getting their people elected into office and waging war through governance, while Mathews would rather take the more direct and violent approach. It nearly becomes a competition of which method a white supremacist carries more value with and will actually succeed in carrying out their goals. This philosophy between the pair adds something new when viewing their groups but also highlights how this happens with all movements as disagreements of methods naturally arise.
As this internal battle transpires, The Order also delivers a truly solid cops and robbers film as Husk and the local officers try their best to discover the next steps of Mathews and his wrecking crew before any more damage and bloodshed occur. Husk’s presence in the film adds this renegade component as a man who has encountered many dangerous situations in the past, and this one is but another one he must take on. Funnily enough, this transfer to Idaho was meant as a way to slow down later in his career, but now he must contend with one of the more violent and difficult cases he has encountered thus far.
Assembling a nice cast, the two standouts of this film were Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, who had the most to work with. Law, once again, delivers quality work as he portrays this gruff detective not looking to take any nonsense and get to the bottom of this situation. Hoult, on the other foot, does too good of a job in portraying Mathews as a charismatic leader within this movement that can lead a faction of white supremacists to move away from legally being racists to adding deadly violence to their repertoire. The film ultimately comes down to a head-to-head between these two individuals and who will get the upper hand, as seen in many heist and detective films. This yet again demonstrates a dynamic that works.
Having quite the filmography thus far, Justin Kurzel steps in and delivers a real haymaker that has him piecing together some of his best work. He taps into a population that contains nuance even when their general belief system looks as if it lacks it and creates an exhilarating story about the criminality involved along with the law enforcement tasked with ceasing those actions. Anyone who likes a good cop thriller will find enjoyment in this film but also take away something intriguing about this hateful group at the center.
Films with Josh 
