The Order Review

Australian director Justin Kurzel always takes us to the darkest of places. From his brooding version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to his home country’s most notorious outlaw in Nitram, his vision is bleak. And in The Order, it’s not just the extremists who show a less-than-likeable side of humanity. The man on their tail is no angel either.

First seen earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival, the film covers a real-life hunt for a neo-Nazi militia group in the early 80s. They’ve broken away from a right-wing church and, instead of praying, prepare for a large-scale insurrection by robbing banks to pay for weapons and ammunition. But, with their activities attracting the attention of the FBI, they now have a group of agents catching up with them, one of whom has a background in fighting the KKK and the mob. As his followers gear up to disrupt the entire country, the cult leader realises time is getting short and his methods become increasingly brutal …..

In the stylish hands of Kurzel, this is a thriller that packs his customary punch and one that hints of others that have gone before. Out of them, it’s Michael Mann’s classic Heat that rises to the surface, with the powerful cat and mouse dynamic between FBI officer Husk (Jude Law) and gang leader Bob (Nicholas Hoult). There’s a couple of occasions when their eyes lock at a distance and just one brief meeting: a few words are exchanged but, at the time, Law doesn’t realise who he’s talking to. With delicious irony, Hoult does. And each time their paths cross, it’s another step towards an intensely anticipated, no-holds-barred confrontation, reinforced by a suspenseful, clock-ticking score and a series of pacy bank robberies.

Kurzel, as ever, is bang on target with his choice of lead actors, both of whom have been very much on the ascendancy this year. Law has been developing a satisfying niche in fading, middle aged men. His Henry VIII in Juror #2, has steely eyes and a heart to match, ruling his followers with fear and always putting them in the front line, while he simply watches. In a chilling piece of acting, he’s sparing with his charisma, but knows exactly when to use it to rally the troops.

The director has also returned to occasional collaborator, DOP Adam Arkapaw, to create a grainy look for the film, one that reflects the down-at-heel setting of the story. Yet together they never miss a chance to take full advantage of the towering landscape, where the mountains dwarf everything and look down with contempt on any human endeavour below them. The Order is quick to remind us that what we’re seeing on screen hasn’t gone away. In the film’s most telling fact, it emerges that the book used by the group as a manual for insurrection also inspired those behind the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021. It’s a sobering thought.

★★★★

In UK cinemas from 27 December / Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Marc Maron, Odessa Young, Jurnee Smollett / Dir: Justin Kurzel / Met Film Distribution / 15