The Order is a fairly straightforward crime drama from Justin Kurzel, an Australian director who has covered multiple national stories. Whether that be true stories from his homeland such as Nitram, Shakespeare adaptations such as Macbeth, or 15th Century Spain in his video-game adaptation Assassin’s Creed. Kurzel has been willing to spread himself, exploring stories that are not necessary for his national identity. In The Order, Kurzel takes a look at racial discrimination in the Pacific Northwest, in a film that defines itself as very American, despite also having two British leads in Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult.
The film follows the true story of Idaho-based FBI agent Terry Husk who investigates a pattern of recent bank robberies run by Bob Matthews, a rogue leader of a neo-Nazi group who break off and chart their own course for more radical measures.
It is a fairly bland and plot-heavy piece with some interesting performances and direction holding the film together. There is little in the way of intrigue or nuance that grips you and properly pulls you into the film. Instead, it portrays a fairly tame KKK-adjacent group, which has been done better in films such as BlacKkKlansman and American History X. Likewise the heists involving Nicholas Hoult’s group of racist rogues lack any intensity or spark. There is no personality to any of the robbers, nor does the camera give any form of tension that you’d expect in heist scenes. It is lacking in any form of mystery, intrigue or chemistry between Matthews and Husk.
What holds the film together is some strong performances by Law and Hoult. Law plays the central figure with gusto, despite not being given a huge amount of material to play with. A commanding presence, playing the out-of-town cop who does not quite fit in with the community. Whilst Nicholas Hoult is the film’s most impressive weapon, a Neo-Nazi who fools you into believing his actions are normal as he begins raising a war chest for something greater. This along with the style of Justin Kurzel, which shines through at times, just about holds your attention in what is a fairly predictable screenplay.
Although The Order is perfectly fine, it is a shame that the quality in front of and behind the camera is unable to come up with a more unique and intriguing film than the one that is delivered. Whilst it may interest a few that enjoy this genre, it is not a film that I would rush out and see.
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