The United States has just gone through one of the most difficult elections in its history in the last month. There were many issues that made the election important to a lot of Americans. One of them is patriotism and whether or not one of the candidates is for or against certain values people are wanting in their President. The Order deals with some of these issues the country as a whole has been dealing with the last decade or so. It just so happens that this story takes place in the 80s which begs the question to be asked. How long have many Americans in this country felt this way? Why hasn’t this been addressed sooner than now and having to be told in a new film? That’s what the main thing about this movie was for me. Am I in the minority these days?

FBI Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) moves to Idaho to get out of the high tension situations he was in, in New York dealing with the Lucchese Crime family and La cosa nostra. While having a drink at a bar he notices some interesting flyers in town that are expressing certain views he’s familiar with regarding white supremacy. He goes to the local Sheriff to get some information on this and a young officer James Bowen (Tye Sheridan)  explains a little more about what’s going on in this sleepy town. Unbeknownst to them there is a young man who is starting his own satellite organization separate from the local KKK, Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult). Their agendas don’t align with each other. In the process of investigating one group the FBI and local Sheriffs start an investigation into a series of bombings and bank robberies that are connected. This is the beginning of some of the dogma we’ve seen in this country the last decade or so. Which is based on a book called The Turner Diaries by author William Luther Pierce in 1978. 

White supremacy has been around in this country for hundreds of years. The Klu Klux Klan is the main group people associate with this system of ideals. Lately there have been local and state militias that have popped all over the country. These were the people who caused the January 6th insurrection. People have started taking their own opinions and putting them into action regarding how they feel about the country’s racial problems and religious beliefs. Which they don’t feel align with the current political climate and President Elect or Vice President who was running for the Presidency. The film shows how these things going on today in our society started many years ago and have been in motion for just as long. This is just one story from the past that was quite difficult for me to digest. Even though Justin Kurzel did a great job bringing it to life on the big screen.

This movie has a good supporting cast which all do a really good job bringing their characters to the forefront in the context of the film. First of all is Jurnee Smollett who plays another FBI Agent who comes in to help Law’s character. She’s a bit grizzled like Law’s character is. They are both kindred spirits when it comes to their dedication to their jobs. Sometimes they can overdue it though. Marc Meron, popular podcaster and sometimes actor, plays a shock jock radio host in Denver, Colorado. He has a lot to say about anti-semitism and white supremacy. He believes these things are still very prevalent in the midwest of the country. This is a very dangerous thing for him considering he’s on the radio. This is a bit ironic because this is what he does for a living in real life. So I wonder if this was a character that was a far stretch for him to play. Two young women who play love interests for the Hoult character were played by Allison Oliver as Debbie Matthews and Odessa Young as Zillian Craig. Both of these women are caught up in their man’s world and can’t get out of it. That;s what can happen when you get involved in self righteous messiah’s like the Hoult character is. This cast is fantastic and I hope more people have a chance to see this film and the message these actors are trying to convey on the big screen.

I’m a big fan of Jude Law ever since I saw him in The Talented Mr. Ripley as Dickie Greenleaf. He really impressed me and ever since I’ve paid attention to whatever film or television series he was a part of.  Roles in Cold Mountain, Road to Perdition and Closer proved I was right. He has turned into a fantastic actor. Sure like every actor he’s had his ups and downs, but mostly he’s had good roles. The character he plays in The Order is one of the better ones in recent years. The tired struggling nature of the character is very much an actor’s dream. He had a lot to work with this character and it showed on screen.  Given the message the film is trying to portray I’m sure he was extra-motivated to give the role his all. I’m glad to see him back on track after the misstep that was Firebrand. I am not a fan of that film at all. This one to the contrary is much better.

Nicholas Hoult is having quite the year as an actor. He was in Clint Eastwood’s latest, and potentially last, movie of his career, Juror #2. He got good reviews for his performance in that and he’s also very good in a villain role in this film. Even though he feels like he’s not the villain. He’s doing villain-like things. Most villains don’t see themselves as the villain of their own story. His mantra is one that many Americans would consider a good one, even though the authorities would think otherwise. His back and forth between him and Law’s character had me thinking of the two great characters portrayed by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in Heat. That;s the vibe I got from these two. Later this year Hoult is in Robert Eggers Nosferatu and from what I heard he is good in that as well. This may be the year where he gets his first Academy Award nomination. I think he is overdue.

This movie is completely entrenched in the 1980s. I could see from the very beginning the cars, clothes, hairstyles and things many men and women did in the 80s that were used to bring this decade to life. One of those was cigarette smoking. A lot of characters smoked cigarettes. Not so much anymore. Little things like that go a long way to make a film look and feel like the time and place it’s portraying. Also the cinematography is very good. The director and camera people get a great backdrop to use and their filmmaking locations. The mid-west, Idaho, Colorado and Washington State are all vivid and beautifully portrayed on screen. These locations made me want to visit them while I was watching the movie. The production design, cinematography and the other technical categories are realized to perfection in this period piece. I love when all of these things come together like they did in this film. 

The Order is a film based on a book about a specific religious dogma that has come to fruition. Many Americans will relate to this story. Especially in the last decade or so. Others will definitely not want to see this kind of film especially based on recent events in this country. Kurzel and the writers brought this story to life very effectively in many different ways. The technical aspects were on point from beginning to end. The acting was very good, but the two standouts were Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult as the yin and yang if you will of the story.. They reminded me of the two main characters in Michael Mann’s Heat. They even had a moment similar to the one in that film. This movie overall was one of the better filmgoing experiences of the year for me as a film fan. I loved everything about this movie. I hope it translates to award contention next year and later this year.

4 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen