Well, I guess I’ll have to do away with the whole “review movies in order you’ve watched them” thing. First I had to talk about The Getaway, then Red Rooms, and last night this movie just did me in. The Order is a compelling and incredibly intense thriller set in the 1980s and based on true events. It’s about Terry Husk, a burned-out FBI agent looking for a bit of peace and quiet when he stumbles upon a dangerous white supremacist gang. Led by the charismatic Bob Mathews it has horrifyingly grand plans for the United States. Husk is soon joined by the local cop Jamie Bowen and the two of them begin the arduous and dangerous task of bringing these domestic terrorists down.
Just a couple of months ago, I watched the HBO documentary An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. In that documentary, you can hear all about the first wave of extremism which includes the events in this movie, The Order. I highly recommend you check it out as it’s quite eye-opening. It also shows that these things don’t happen in a vacuum and that there’s always a bigger picture to get. In fact, it might be a good idea to watch the docu first and then this movie. A movie based on the 1989 non-fiction book “The Silent Brotherhood: The Chilling Inside Story of America’s Violent, Anti-Government Militia Movement” by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt.
The Order feels like a Denis Villeneuve movie. To be more precise, it feels like Sicario’s older brother and yet it’s standing on its own two authentic feet. And those two feet belong to mustachioed Jude Law who gave one hell of a performance here. He usually plays some sophisticated upper-class gentlemen so to see him as a chain-smoking, whiskey-drinking, always-on-the-edge Agent Husk was a true pleasure. He really is a terrific actor. You know who else is a terrific actor? Tye Sheridan, that’s who! I first saw him in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse but he was just as good in Mud and Detour. Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s (A Prayer Before Dawn) Asphalt City, also starring Sean Penn is another one of his gritty and unrelenting thrillers.
Finally, there’s one more individual we need to talk to and his name is Nux! I mean, it’s Nicholas Hoult but he’ll always be Nux for me. His performance here was absolutely stunning, especially in the second half of the movie. The finale was a work of art, perfectly balancing the action and the character study elements. The Order presents a different kind of both the good and the bad guy. They’re not motivated by fame, money, or power, neither of them. They have completely different sets of values and yet, their determination is exactly the same. Pay careful attention to Hoult’s character during the finale, the look in his eyes, and his actions. They were fucking spine-chilling.
With all of this being said, I have to admit that character development could’ve been better. I guess they were focusing on the real events too much. The reason why I keep mentioning the second half is because there’s a distinct event in the movie, basically splitting it in half. And once it happens, nothing will be the same. The moody and lingering shots immersing you further in the atmosphere scream neo-noir. They also showcase the beautiful landscapes surrounding this hellish story. Just think No Country For Old Men or True Detective season one. Moreover, those beautiful landscapes are quite important to both of our protagonists.
They want to “save” them but only one of them is right. What makes the whole thing a bit odd is the fact that the movie The Order was shot in Canada, Alberta, to be more precise. The action sequences remind me of the French heist movies. The 36th Precinct is a good example along with Above The Law. Jed Kurzel’s soundtrack was mind-blowingly good, one of the best I’ve heard in the past few years. And yes, he’s Justin Kurzel’s brother. And just one more thing, also pay close attention to car shots. Justin and Adam Arkapaw, director of photography, love strapping cameras onto cars and just rolling with them. This simple move was incredibly effective and I wish more filmmakers would use it.
At this point, you’re probably wondering just how much of this stuff really happened. Well, I can tell you a couple of things about that. While the movie The Order tried not to stray too much from the truth it did take certain liberties with certain characters. FBI agent Terry Husk, played by Jude Law, is a fictional character, an amalgamation of dozens of FBI agents working the case. The same goes for Jamie Bowen, played by Tye Sheridan. The one character who’s very much real is Bob Mathews, played by Nicholas Hoult. His racist and anti-government gang The Order, did all the robberies you’re about to watch in the movie. Including that really big one.
If you’re looking for more movies about white supremacists based on true events, check out Imperium starring Daniel Radcliffe. You could also take a look at Dead Bang from 1989 starring Don Johnson. It’s a bit rough around the edges but still engaging enough, especially from this time distance. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Justin Kurzel’s two other movies Nitram and Snowtown both of which are based on true events. Finally, Costa Gavras’s Betrayed starring Debra Winger and Tom Berenger explores The Order from a personal angle and it’s quite good.
Director: Justin Kurzel
Writers: Zach Baylin, Kevin Flynn, Gary Gerhardt
Cast: Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, George Tchortov, Morgan Holmstrom, Philip Granger
Fun Facts: To help further immerse himself in his character, director Justin Kurzel sent Nicholas Hoult on a secret mission to stalk Jude Law for one day. Law never noticed him during that cold day in Calgary.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26625693/
