TIFF Review: ‘The Order’ is a Sturdily Built Historical Action Procedural

How did I not know about this story? When you see what The Order is about, it’s going to be shocking that this isn’t a bit of history we’re well aware of. That it makes for such a compelling movie is only further evidence of that. Playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, this is a police procedural that mixes action and history to strong effect.

The Order is a procedural at its core, to be sure, but the subject matter lends it a bit of additional weight. We’re watching the cops work to catch the bad guys, ultimately, but the details are so unique here. It does a lot to make any of the generic elements feel less so. Moreover, the procedural elements are so well handled, it’s unlikely you’ll mind much in the first place.

Set in 1983, this is the story of how law enforcement took down a domestic terrorist organization known as The Order. When a series of banks are robbed throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as armored cars being attacked, officials are baffled. With local law enforcement agents scrambling for clues or any real direction, a lone FBI Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) would crack things wide open. s

Stationed in the small town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Husk would figure out that the crimes were all related and not the work of normal criminals out for a quick score, but rather a group of dangerous domestic terrorists. The group is led by Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), a charismatic racist with a plot to go to war against the federal government of the United States. Along with a local deputy in Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), Husk is on a collision course with Mathews.

Jude Law is effective and intense here. If this were a purely fictional film, we’d see his demons threaten to sabotage the investigation. Instead, Law plays Husk as a man with a darkness just under the surface. It’s subtle, sure, but the intensity is always there. Tye Sheridan is solid in a somewhat underwritten role, but his character comes to be essential to the narrative. Nicholas Hoult, on the other hand, is terrific, making his hate monger terrorist a figure of scary calm, not to mention dangerous charisma. You can’t take your eyes off of him. Hoult is best in show, by far, though that’s no shade on Law. Supporting players here include Marc Maron, Jurnee Smollett, Odessa Young, and more.

Director Justin Kurzel and scribe Zach Baylin craft a film that’s ruthlessly efficient and always entertaining, even if it’s very dark. This is the most effective Kurzel has been while courting the mainstream, while Baylin makes sure being a factual re-telling of the events doesn’t get in the way of it being cinematic. Now, the movie could have stood to have been slightly shorter, given the abrupt nature of the climax, but the end scenes are unlike most of what we get in the genre, so that’s another feather in the cap of The Order. That’s a recurring theme, too. Even when something is close to a flaw, it’s done in an interesting way to mitigate any real damage to the experience.

The Order surprised me by being as good as it is. The film is unassuming enough, but it leaves an impact. As one of the smaller movies at TIFF, buzz-wise, it’s among the most pleasant surprises. Imagine a procedural done right, with a nice bit of historical context, and that’s what you have with The Order. It might fall below Oscar’s radar but it’s a rock solid bit of entertainment.

SCORE: ★★★