For the first time and certainly not the last time I am asking: “Why couldn’t a film have appeared before the election?” Here you have a perfectly good tale about the FBI putting an end to a violent White Supremacist movement every bit like the one that stormed the capitol on January 6, 2021. Why couldn’t that have been fresh in the voters’ minds of where Trump and Trumpies stand on the issues White Supremacy and criminality (both strongly pro, btw) when it was time to choose sides?
Would it have made a difference? Almost certainly not. Yet, the 2024 election will be known to me as one of gigantic media failure … and the untimeliness of The Order is just another thread in that tapestry.
In 1983, a terrorist group in Idaho got ahold of The Turner Diaries, a playbook for white supremacist takeover. The group went beyond the normal hate which amounted to rallies and banner-waving. These guys took to robbing banks and armored cars in a would-be progression aimed at government takeover.
Aw, boys, if you were just a little patient you could have waited for the RW media and SCOTUS takeover then gotten your way legally. Well, gosh, I guess these guys are just ahead of their time. On the side of evil is charismatic two-timer Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult), a cult leader in training who has a lot of guns at his disposal and a desire to rob banks towards a bigger payoff.
On the side of good is FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law), who is rocking a 1970s Dabney Coleman vibe so hard in this film I expected a much younger Gene Hackman to pop out at any second. Law officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) thinks the bank robberies are the work of white supremacists. Terry doesn’t agree with him (it’s not their style) until he gets a look at The Turner Diaries.
FWIW, The Turner Diaries describe in detail the terrorist takeover of government; the last stage is “The 
Day of the Rope” with images that could have been drawn from the makeshift gallows intended for Mike Pence on January 6. That’s spooky, huh?
The Order could well have been a simple philosophical fight, but the screenplay wanted some action. It’s much more fun when ideologies take a back seat to bank robberies, huh? That’s how this film plays out – strong on the criminality, light on the philosophy. But don’t be confused; this is an anti-Trump film. This is definitely a film condemning those who would gleefully bring violence to politics, which describes the entire MAGA movement.
The Order was a decent thriller, with a decided historical vibe. It is unclear as to what exactly was true about Bob Matthews and The Order on screen v. reality, yet what is clear is the threat to democracy that is modern white supremacy. Can we do anything about it now that it has attained the rank of President? I have no idea.
There once was a terrorist named Bob
Robbing banks was his permanent job
His goal, it seems
Was to make real his dreams
Of turning the country into a white-controlled mob
Rated R, 116 Minutes
Director: Justin Kurzel
Writer: Zach Baylin, Gary Gerhardt, Kevin Flynn
Genre: What the FBI did in the non-Trump era
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People who loathe Nazis
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: White Supremacists
