Bleak US thrillers set in the contemporary political and social landscape often pleasantly surprised me over the last few years. These can have an implied political message, like The Standoff at Sparrow Creek has, or they can be dealing in direct, borderline activist commentary like How to Blow up a Pipeline. The Order is a lot less willing to dive into the clear politics of the white nationalist movement in the US, but it still packs an engaging punch when it comes to its characters.
In the film, led by Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, an FBI agent begins to track and gradually dismantle a white supremacist group that is slowly turning into a terrorist army. Based on the notion of The Turner Diaries effects on the angry young men of the inner US, as well as its impact on the hate groups preparing for a race war, the film covers actual events from the 1980s and their deadly impact on numerous families and individuals.
Justin Kurzel, who directed the film, allowed much of the story to take shape through its main characters, played by Law and Hoult, who act as the main driving forces, but on opposite sides. Here, Law in particular managed to create a transfixing character as the rundown, tired, but endlessly determined Agent Husk. That, along with a tense, minimalistic cinematography, produced a fantastic and very balanced thriller, which doesn't lose any steam towards the end. Ultimately, despite its hands-off approach to modern politics, The Order's story is still very much relevant for the contemporary US political landscape.
