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The Order is a gripping, haunting, and unfortunately necessary true-crime thriller.
Pros:
• Nicholas Hoult’s disquieting lead performance
• Adam Arkapaw’s stunning cinematography
• An unnerving look at the corrosive dangers of bigotry
Cons:
• A by-the-numbers FBI investigation storyline
• Several underdeveloped supporting characters
• Multiple predictable, overly telegraphed plot beats
“it’s a great country, but we’re all still trapped in our minds.” So says Alan Berg (Marc Maron), an impassioned radio host, while raging against his openly anti-Semitic callers in the opening minutes of The Order. It’s a fitting introduction to a true-crime thriller that’s as concerned with the adrenaline-pumping power of well-staged bank robberies and police chases as it is with the terrifying reality — both psychological and societal — of bigotry. You can live anywhere, but it takes far more than just packing your bags to see beyond the limits of your own perspective. When you refuse to do so, then even the idyllic, picturesque mountains and hills of the Pacific Northwest where The Order is set can become a breeding ground for vile hatred.
By the time the film begins, its central Idahoan small town has already become poisoned by the beliefs of its Neo-Nazi residents. When FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) wanders in from New York looking for a quieter life, his eyes inevitably find the white power poster hung up behind the counter of the first bar he walks into. Its placement is frightening on its own, but Terry is just as disturbed by the feeling that he’s arrived in a place where such blatant racial hatred is seen as a kind of everyday normalcy. The Order creates a skin-crawling discomfort in this scene, and it never lets it fade. Nor should it. This constant unease adds a cutting edge to the film, which succeeds at depicting not only the stomach-churning narcissism of white supremacy, but also the impossibility of ever really killing it.
Sporting a bushy mustache that would make Gene Hackman proud, Jude Law does his best Popeye Doyle impression as Husk, a federal agent who gets so caught up in his hunts that his body literally reacts with occasional nosebleeds. Law is unsurprisingly convincing as a hard-drinking investigator whose long-unquenched thirst to actually catch one of his targets seems powerful enough to destroy him from the inside out. But the script is ultimately too busy filling out the real-life details and motivations of the white supremacist villains to make Law’s Terry, Smollett’s Carney, and Sheridan’s Bowen more than stock investigator archetypes.
The Order | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical
This is largely by design, as The Order tries in its final third to communicate how fully extinguishing something like white supremacy requires not just ceaseless law enforcement efforts, but also a level of introspection and personal responsibility that its proponents inherently lack. Its causes are, more often than not, clear, and its practitioners rarely feel the need to hide themselves and their beliefs. But there is a very big difference, as The Order mournfully acknowledges in its purposefully unfulfilling epilogue, between having something in your sights and actually being able to kill it once and for all. That is a difficult truth for The Order to grapple with, and the film never truly emerges as an unforgettable, full-throated cinematic expression of it.
But even if The Order never manages to reach its highest possible pitch, the one it does strike is startling and distressing in equal measure. For much of its runtime, it’ll thrill you and get your pulse pounding. In the end, though, it’ll leave you quiet, shaken, and, above all else, angry.
The Order is now playing in select theaters.
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Conclusion:
The Order is a gripping and unnerving true-crime thriller that explores the corrosive dangers of bigotry and white male rage. While it has its flaws, including a by-the-numbers FBI investigation storyline and predictable plot beats, the film is elevated by Nicholas Hoult’s disquieting lead performance and Adam Arkapaw’s stunning cinematography. The Order is a difficult but necessary film that will leave you angry and disturbed.
FAQs:
Q: What is the plot of The Order?
A: The film is based on true events and follows the FBI investigation into a white supremacist militia group led by Bob Mathews.
Q: Is The Order a true crime story?
A: Yes, the film is based on real events and uses the true story of the FBI’s investigation into the white supremacist group as the basis for its narrative.
Q: What themes does the film explore?
A: The Order explores themes of bigotry, white male rage, and the difficulty of fully extinguishing ideologies like white supremacy.
Q: Is The Order worth watching?
A: If you’re interested in true crime stories or are concerned with the themes of bigotry and white supremacy, The Order is a worthwhile film to watch. However, if you’re looking for a more traditional thriller or action movie, you may find The Order to be too slow-paced or intellectually demanding.
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