Jude Law hunts Aryan leader in The Order—a tense thriller where justice battles obsession. Gripping performances and scenic vistas elevate this chase.
No human society in history has escaped extremism and fanaticism. The Order is about one such time, early 1980s to be exact, in the United States where an Aryan brotherhood took shape into an anti-establishment, violent and ultimately, tragic group of extremists. The law chasing The Order is represented by Jude Law, Tye Sheridan and Jurnee Smollett. The Order is a slow, cat-and-mouse thriller between cops and criminals, elevated by the performances and scenic photography.
Terry Husk (Jude Law, looking like a quintessential cop from the show COPS) enters a town in Idaho as a newly transferred FBI agent. The foul scent of racism in the air sets him sniffing, leading to the local Sheriff’s office where he meets Deputy Bowen (Tye Sheridan) who lets Husk in on the Aryan Nation’s latest updates. Being an ex-KKK and ex-Cosa Nostra hunter, Husk can’t resist the urge to chase the next unlawful faction of society. He goes all in looking for the culprits that call themselves The Order.
The Order is run by Bob Matthews, played by Nicholas Hoult (he’s had a helluva 2024. Check out Nosferatu’s review starring him). Hoult has a face that’s unlikely for an actor because when it’s inexpressive, it looks like he’s ran out of blood. But he has evolved into a performer that somehow makes that face work and while he may not always impress the audience, he can always connect with them. Matthews has an agenda and unwavering determination to deliver it and Hoult is convincing in his portrayal.
Jude Law plays Husk as someone who’s self-image is that of a bad-ass man of the law who has been put on this earth to put bad guys in order. At times, he looks like he’s embodying Al Pacino from his cocaine sniffing days. Jurnee Smollett, on the other hand, plays agent Carney who has a better grasp on life than Husk, but you can sense the grip is loosening.
The movie has a sombre and deliberate tone charged by enough punchy scenes to keep the audience in their seats. There is a great moment in the first half where Husk’s macho demeanor is tested and Law gives us the first real hint of his brilliance. The movie takes a darker turn when radio host Alan Berg (played by Marc Maron as he gets to act out his day job, but with more soul and purpose) is attacked by The Order. The events continue to escalate until the fiery end.
The crimes in the movie are juxtaposed by the magnificent beauty of vast American lands showcased exquisitely by cinematographer Adam Arkapaw (True Detective season 1, Animal Kingdom). The story is as much about the place as it is about its people and Arkapaw’s work indicates that the world of John Ford’s The Searchers was ever-present even a hundred years later.
The hunter motif is heavily alluded to throughout the film. Husk is so caught up in hunting Bob Matthews, he even forgets that he was supposed to slow down and have his family move in with him to have a quiet, normal life. Strong human instincts like the desire to hunt and being blinded by our beliefs are the themes explored in The Order, and better writing could’ve raised the movie to a higher class.
Richard Butler – ‘The Church of Jesus Christ Christian is a place where all white men like yourselves come and take a hold of their history, a piece of their future. We believe Christian whites deserve a white homeland, but we don’t advocate any of our members breaking any laws to achieve it.’
Terry Husk – ‘But some do.’
Richard Butler – ‘Well, you must understand that being in a cult…like the federal government.