It’s chilling to realize how closely the cinematic universe can reflect reality, especially when we turn to it to escape. Few movies have truly terrified me, but “The Order” did not disappoint in that regard. I anticipated it would be an extraordinary film, and it certainly was. However, the themes it explored were so disturbing that I almost wish it hadn’t been as shocking as it was.
Written by Zach Baylin and directed by Justin Kurzel, “The Order” follows a series of bank robberies that lead the FBI into a tense investigation. Based on the nonfiction bestseller by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt. The silent brotherhoodThe film dramatizes the largest manhunt in FBI history against a man determined to execute a plan to make America “white” again. Their chilling scenes do more than recount events from 1983: they reveal the lengths to which white nationalists were willing to go to push their hateful agenda to the highest levels of government.
“You have to stop. They have found the body. Wait until we have someone in Congress who can push our ideology in a different way so people will listen to you,” says a voice in the film. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Set in 1983, FBI agent Husk (Jude Law) takes charge of the investigation with the help of a young agent (Tye Sheridan) to decipher the pattern behind the robberies. Their search for him leads them to a book, The Turner Diariesused by cult leader Robert Jay Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), who, like many white nationalists, seeks ways to insert his extremist views into mainstream society. The film’s depiction of these chilling events will leave audiences shocked and angry, for one main reason: history, unfortunately, has a habit of repeating itself.
As a film critic, I tend to try to avoid political commentary and focus on movies solely as entertainment. But with movies like “The Order,” how can I ignore the reality I’m faced with? If there is one lesson to be learned from this film, it is that everyone living in the United States should watch it before casting their vote. The film challenges viewers to think critically, as long as they keep an open mind. It’s a remarkable piece of cinema, full of powerful performances, but it offers little hope because it clearly shows that not much has changed between 1983 and 2024. The white nationalist agenda still finds ways to infiltrate public discourse, and anyone who isn’t white or is an immigrant is still a target.
So my question is: why is skin color so important? Why can’t we learn to live together? Until we learn to accept our differences, whether in skin color, culture or beliefs, we will continue to be divided by fear and hate. Only by understanding that our diversity is our strength can we hope to build a future free from the shadows of the past. Until then, violence and racist ideologies will continue to thrive as long as there are leaders who amplify them on a broader stage.