From Zach Baylin, the writer of Creed III (2023), King Richard (2021), Gran Turismo (2023), Bob Marley: One Love (2024), and The Crow (2024), and Justin Kurzel, the director of Macbeth (2015) and Assassin’s Creed (2016), comes one of the of the best hidden gems of 2024, The Order. Based on the novel titled The Silent Brotherhood which was based on true events comes the terrifying reality out of the 1980s about a group of white supremacists who are determined to create their own militia and grow their way of life and the singular FBI agent who is determined to take them down. The Order is brought together by the brilliant performances from the lead and supporting cast, as well as the adaptation and direction, to provide a rich, tense drama that captivates the audience entirely.
Center: Jude Law as Terry Husk in THE ORDER. Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.
Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult) is behind a series of bank robberies that are violent, extreme, and get the attention of FBI Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) as he believes that these robberies and killings are a lot more than what is presumed already. Husk fully believes that this is part of a greater plan, unaware that this is a neo-Nazi gang at first, but slowly starts to realize the threat that is growing larger and larger as time goes on. Husk is not in the greatest health, and realistically should be retired, but he wants his last objective to be taking down The Order, which is how the neo-Nazis refer to themselves, and he is partnered with Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) who’s a fellow agent but grew up with several of the members of The Order and knows how credible of a threat they truly are. Together, Bowen and Husk must go against Matthews and his followers, which becomes a tense game of cat-and-mouse that is utterly captivating from start to finish.
L-R: Jude Law as Terry Husk, Jurnee Smollett as Joanne Carney, and Tye Sheridan as Jamie Bowen in THE ORDER. Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.
While Jude Law (The Holiday) has always been incredible in his roles and at creating characters for audiences to truly sink their teeth into, his portrayal of Terry Husk is one of his best, creating a portrayal of a character that completely engrosses the audience. The determination, drive, and passion for justice that is breathed into this character from his performance is nothing shy of exemplary and captivating. While Tye Sheridan (The Mountain) shines bright as Jamie Bowen, the agent who is closer to the neo-Nazis than he ever wanted to be, and creates a character to completely support and get behind, as well. While the right side of justice is portrayed brilliantly and effortlessly, it is Nicholas Hoult, as their opposition, who has had the career of a lifetime this year (Juror #2 and, undoubtedly, his character in Nosferatu), with his depiction of the epitome of evil entirely nerve-wracking and bone-shaking, completely immersing himself in the role and getting lost in the mastermind at the head of The Order, Robert Jay Mathews. With these three performances, Law, Sheridan, and Hoult being as remarkable and spectacular as they are, The Order truly packs a punch with its uncomfortable world engulfed in reality and true events.
Nicholas Hoult as Robert Jay Matthews in THE ORDER. Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.
There have been so many movies about neo-Nazis and domestic terrorism that have been based on fact or fiction that trying to create a captivating film that focuses on the subject matter can be a daunting task. However, Justin Kurzel along with his screenwriter Zach Baylin manage to craft the quintessential perfect crime thriller with a cast that is essentially perfect for their roles. It is a rarity to have all three elements come together so effortlessly and perfectly to create such a tense world for the audience to get into. The Order is brazen, smart, and excellently crafted, providing one of the most unexpected surprises of the year which needs to be seen to be believed.
Screened during Toronto International Film Festival 2024.
In theaters December 6th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Toronto International Film Festival 2024 The Order webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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