On the night of June 18, 1984, American talk radio host, Alan Berg, was murdered in a hail of gunfire. 12 bullets found him (including 5 headshots) and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The weapon that killed him was traced back to a Neo-Nazi cult known as “The Order” and Berg was just one name found on a death list. The group’s main objective was to start a race war in America with an endgame that would have them (in their words) “exterminating” any Jewish, Black, or non-White person who dared to make a life in the so-called “Land of the Free”. Written by Zach Baylin and directed by Justin Kurzel, the new crime thriller The Order, bases its story on the true events that surrounded the murder of Alan Berg and the subsequent FBI manhunt that would lead to the downfall of the terrorist organization.

Based on the nonfiction book The Silent Brotherhood, by Gary Gerhardt and Kevin Flynn, The Order takes place from 1983 to 1984. At that time, it was shocking for the country to learn about an American underground terrorist group committing robberies to fuel their murderous plans. Today, especially with the outcome of the 2024 election, seeing American Nazis marching through the streets of our towns and cities has become sickeningly commonplace. As one experiences this true life tale that sticks closely to the facts, the film becomes an allegory of what has become of the United States. The rise of Christian Nationalism and the explosion of the MAGA movement cannot be ignored when experiencing this piece of American history that would become the racist dog whistle whose call continues to be answered. These harsh truths make Kurzel’s picture all the more frightening, as a majority of our elected Right Wing politicians of today carry with them the racist doctrines set by The Order. 

The film opens with Alan Berg (Marc Maron) on air, attacking and insulting the (at that time) fringe Right Wing racists who dare call in to his show. Berg was certainly one of the first wave of “Shock Jocks” and he didn’t hold back. The screenplay gives the radio personality the right amount of set up, as he yells his damnation of the anti-Semites that populate his city into his microphone. Berg’s vicious takedown of the men who would later kill him are as dangerous as the bullets that took him down. Maron (a masterful podcast host and one of today’s finest comedians) does great work with only a few scenes. The actor perfectly executes Berg’s cadence and doesn’t overplay his small, but important, role; nailing the power of Alan Berg’s voice and the threat he posed to his assassins. 

Where Baylin’s screenplay finds its profundity is in the idealistic pursuits of its two main characters, FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) and his prey, the charismatic leader of the terrorists, Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult). Husk is on the side of right. Coming out of a broken marriage and estranged relationship with his kids, he is newly assigned to an office in the small Idaho town of ​​Coeur d’Alene. Husk is investigating the connection to an alarming number of bank robberies and armored car heists in the Pacific Northwest and begins to find a link to The Order.

Matthews believes he is on the side of a true blue America and gathers his minions through a plea for community. As he takes over a rally led by the architect of the Aryan Nations, Richard Butler (Victor Slezak), Matthews uses fear of the marginalization of the White race to fuel the fires of hate and bring folks to his way of thinking, which is action. With his group becoming more dangerous, The Order bombs porn theaters to distract from their robberies. Their money will be used to fund their army for an overthrow of the United States government and to carry out their plan to wipe out the non-Whites. It is chilling how Butler becomes the voice of “reason” when warning Matthews against violence. His plan is to use politics and get their people elected to office; the comparisons to 2024 America becoming all too real.

Husk and Matthews are on opposite sides, but their parallels of determination against all odds are strikingly portrayed. Bob Matthews doesn’t see himself as a villain. He casts himself as a man who will help save his beloved America. As an officer of the law, Terry Husk has gone up against both the East Coast Mafia and the KKK and has no hesitation in bringing down another White Supremacist organization. 

Nicholas Hoult is nothing short of frightening as Matthews; not because he plays it intensely, but due to his commitment to keeping it real. The actor resembles the real Matthews and embodies the earnestness of Matthews’ convictions. How one man can spew so much hate and division in the name of a better America while building a legion of followers is terrifying beyond measure. Hoult doesn’t hit a false beat and plays the character as he was; a sociopath who could hypnotize followers into a life of hate and violence. The path to Donald Trump and his cult is a straight line that begins with Matthews. 

Law’s simmering portrayal of the gruff and stress-worn federal agent standing as his finest in years. Husk has a steadfastness that has aged him but not slowed him down. The script doesn’t over explain his failed marriage, but gives us just enough subtext to know the character. Husk doesn’t care about authority (unless it is his own) and just wants to stop these terrorists. That it is hard to find enough locals who want the same only deepens his cynicism and distaste for his new surroundings. With his full mustache and weathered demeanor, Jude Law delivers a fine performance. 

As Husk settles into his new assignment, he discovers how the local police turn a blind eye to The Order. They know what they represent, but the chief chooses not to look too closely, going so far as to claim, “they mostly keep to themselves.” Luckily for Husk, there is one cop who wants to do some good. Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) teams with the agent in the hope of bringing down these racist killers. 

Three supporting characters play an important role in the destinies of both Husk and Matthews. Jurnee Smollett’s Joanne Carney enters the film as a fellow FBI agent who tries her best to keep Husk’s actions by-the-book. While her character is important to the story, not enough time is given to her development and, although Smollett makes something memorable of the underwritten role. Alison Oliver and Odessa Young have good moments as Bob Mathews’ wife and mistress, respectively. Each one believes in their man, but Matthews’ ever-growing outlaw life is pushing both away. 

Director Kurzel expertly traces the link from the actions of The Order to both the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the insurrection at the United States Capital on January 6th, 2021. Matthews named his organization after the white-supremacist revolutionaries depicted in The Turner Diaries, a 1978 book that depicts the overthrow of the U.S. Government and the start of a race war. The racist and anti-Semetic novel was named “the bible of the racist right” by the FBI, as it helped to shape White Nationalism. Kurzel’s film informs how it was used as a blueprint for many acts of violence and terrorism, including the attacks on January 6th. The director deftly handles the historical roadmap to today’s rising hate by showing the askew views of the fringe and how their search for their place in the country was perverted through a lens of racism and violence. It is disarming to see the conviction of the White Supremacist belief system and Kurzel rightfully refuses to show them as caricatures. There is nothing trivial to be found in their way of life. 

As a film and a historical reminder, The Order takes its subject seriously. There are moments of real tension and some expertly designed gunplay sequences, but the film is more than a mere police procedural. The seeds of racial discontent are represented in the voice and actions of Bob Matthews and those who follow him. These are broken people with misguided hatred flowing through their veins; each one at odds with a diverse nation. Rightfully, Kurzel and Baylin don’t trivialize the film’s characters, nor do they indulge any reasoning for their actions.

Since the fall of The Order, its manifestos have remained as an eerie echo throughout the decades, culminating in a scream that has become the war cry of legions. Justin Kurzel has made a dramatic thriller that is unsettling in its relevance. 

The Order

Written by Zach Baylin (based on the book The Silent Brotherhood, by Gary Gerhardt and Kevin Flynn)

Directed by Justin Kurzel

Starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Marc Maron, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver, Odessa Young, Victor Slezak

R, 114 Minutes, Vertical, AGC Studios, Chasing Epic Pictures, Riff Raff Entertainment