Jude Law Hunts Neo-Nazis in ‘The Order’

Jude Law is usually the romantic lead. In The Order, he is a tough FBI agent hunting neo-Nazis. Based on the book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, it chronicles the actions of a white supremacist group that robbed and assassinated Jewish radio host Alan Berg in June 1984.

Law does a fine job as Terry Husk, a man who knows he is up against very bad people. Nicholas Hoult is convincing as the villain, Bob Matthews. He doesn’t look imposing physically, but Hoult is able to use a lack of expression to convey evil.

Jewish comedian Marc Maron plays Berg, and while he does a good job, I would have liked to see him get more screen time. We only hear a bit of what he said on the radio, as he’s arguing with antisemitic callers.

It’s not very glamorous in Idaho, and this is a gritty film that is better than you’d expect it to be, while the source material is also more harrowing than you could imagine. The film makes reference to The Turner Diaries, a science fiction book that was actually a primer and guide for racists and antisemites. Written by William Luther Pierce under the pseudonym of Andrew Macdonald, it depicts a revolution in America where Jews and non-whites are murdered. Timothy McVeigh, a domestic terrorist who carried out the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City, was found with pages of The Turner Diaries.

Jurnee Smollett does a decent job as a woman helping to try to take down part of the Aryan nation. Many viewers would expect more explosives, more blood, more violence, and a big love story between Law and an actress, but the makers of the film resist all of the common expectations to present a film that stands out for being a bit more realistic than you’d expect.

While the film doesn’t go deep into why these men are racist, antisemitic, and bent on killing, it’s true that they follow a leader. In our current climate of rising antisemitism, one can only hope that the Federal authorities are on top of things and the threats from these leaders and these groups are monitored — as well as the possibility of agents from other countries that could have been sent as sleeper cells.

Should the FBI have been more proactive to prevent the assassination of Berg? It’s hard to say, as the white supremacist group showcased in the film was not that well-known at the time. Law sports an unflattering mustache in the film, which contrasts to the clean-shaven Hoult. Directed by Justin Kurzel, the film is well-paced and Maron, speaking as Berg, says on the airwaves that America is a great country, but some of us are trapped in our own minds.

The downsides of the film are that the plot is predictable and there is not particularly any dialogue you will find inspiring, moving or provocative. But it is still an entertaining and engaging film, based on the true story of hate-filled people who believed in things that many Americans still believe in.

The Order makes one think about what law enforcement can do against white supremacy today, and to what extent their numbers are growing or not.

The film doesn’t try to do too much, but executes what it sets out to do very well. The Order is a story that is timely and upsetting, and features Law and Hoult doing fine work.

The author is a writer based in New York.

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