A string of violent robberies in the Pacific Northwest leads veteran FBI agent into a white supremacist plot to overthrow the federal government. A film by Justin Kurzel, starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver, Odessa Young, Sebastian Pigott, George Tchortov, Victor Slezak, Phillip Forest Lewitski, Matias Lucas, Bradley Stryker, Morgan Holmstrom, and Marc Maron.

In 1983, Cœur d’Alene, Walter West (Daniel Doheny), a member of a radical group, is lured into the woods near Bruce Pierce’s place under the pretense of a hunting trip. Bruce (Sebastian Pigott) and Gary Yarbrough (George Tchortov) claim they’re following orders from their leader Bob. The outing turns deadly when Bruce brutally murders Walter, shooting him multiple times as punishment for his loose lips.

TThree armed men — David Lane (Phillip Forest Lewitski), Gary, and Bruce — rob a Washington Mutual bank, escaping with nearly $45,000. The heist is meticulously planned and orchestrated by their leader Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult), who drives the getaway car. With no security cameras in the bank, the robbers leave few traces. When police later discover their abandoned vehicle at a nearby dentist’s office, they find it completely wiped clean of prints and evidence.

Washington Mutual was an American savings bank holding company based in Seattle. It was the parent company of Washington Mutual Bank, which was the largest savings and loan association in the United States until its collapse in 2008.

FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) arrives at Kootenai County Sheriff Loftlin’s (Philip Granger) office to introduce himself. When Terry inquires about the Aryan Nations’ White Power flyers posted around town and asks about the location of their compound, Loftlin dismissively claims it’s “a long way up.” However, Deputy Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), who has overheard their conversation, interjects that the compound is actually near Hayden Lake, only 15-20 minutes away. Loftlin’s displeasure is evident as he orders Jamie back to work, knowing that Terry has caught him in his lie.

Outside Loftlin’s office, Terry asks Jamie for a cigarette, claiming he left his pack in the car. As Terry prepares to leave, he deliberately leaves his lighter on the desk, giving Jamie a reason to follow him outside to return it. Jamie then invites Terry to his home, where he introduces him to his wife Kimmy (Morgan Holmstrom).

Jamie shows Terry a counterfeit bill he got from his childhood friend Walter West. Jamie suggests that the Aryan Nations group has been using their printing press to produce fake currency. Jamie then presents several newspaper clippings detailing a synagogue bombing in Boise in June and a porn store robbery in October. He theorizes these incidents are connected to the recent bank robbery. When Terry asks about Walter’s whereabouts, Jamie reveals that his friend has been missing for two weeks. He mentions that he even contacted Walter’s wife Bonnie Sue, but she hasn’t heard from him either.

Agent Husk and Deputy Bowen visit Walter’s home to speak with Bonnie Sue (Geena Meszaros). They learn that Walter vanished the night he went hunting with Gary and Bruce. Bonnie Sue confides that Walter likely either fled or was killed, explaining that he frequently talked too much about Bruce’s efforts to recruit members for a new emerging group. Although Bonnie Sue doesn’t specify where the hunting trip took place, Jamie deduces they must have gone to Bruce’s place.

In the woods near Bruce’s property, Terry and Jamie uncover Walter West’s buried body. Law enforcement officers and agents are called to the scene to recover the remains. Terry informs Sheriff Loftlin that the FBI will be taking over the investigation. He then selects Jamie as his assistant, and together they head to the Aryan Nations’ compound at Hayden Lake.

At the Aryan Nations’ compound, Terry and Jamie meet with leader Reverend Richard Butler (Victor Slezak) and his assistant Tony Bentley (Sean Tyler Foley) to inquire about Gary and Bruce’s whereabouts. Richard informs them that both men are no longer part of his congregation, revealing they were expelled after being caught using the group’s printing press to produce counterfeit money.

Aryan Nations is a North American antisemitic, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist hate group that was founded in the 1970s by Richard Girnt Butler. Originally based in Kootenai County, Idaho, near Hayden Lake, the group aimed to establish a white homeland and was rooted in the Christian Identity movement, which posits that people of Northern European ancestry are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites. The organization gained notoriety for its extreme beliefs, which included the notion that non-white individuals were subhuman and that Jews were descendants of Satan. Aryan Nations became a hub for various white supremacist groups, hosting events like the annual Aryan Youth Festival and the Aryan World Congress throughout the 1980s.

Later, Tony Bentley shows up at Jamie’s house and leaves a copy of The Turner Diaries with Kimmy, who passes it to Jamie. Having seen the book during his visit to the Aryan Nations’ compound, Jamie examines it and discovers a handwritten note inside containing Gary Yarbrough’s name and an address.

The Turner Diaries is a 1978 dystopian novel by William Luther Pierce, written under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald. It is presented as the diary of Earl Turner, who chronicles a violent revolution against a government he perceives as dominated by Jews and minorities. The narrative details acts of terrorism, including bombings and assassinations, committed by a white supremacist group called “The Organization.” The book culminates in a genocidal vision where non-whites are exterminated, ultimately depicting a successful takeover of the United States by white supremacists. Its extremist themes have inspired numerous acts of violence, including the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

When FBI agents arrive at the address, they find they’re too late – Gary has fled, leaving behind only a homemade bombing device. Suddenly, a bomb explodes at Embassy Theater, a diversion orchestrated by Bob Mathews. Terry intuitively sees through the deception and refuses to respond to the theater incident. Instead, he and Jamie race to Northgate Mall, where Terry suspects the radical group is carrying out their real mission: another robbery in progress.

Bob Matthews, also known as Robert Jay Mathews, was the founder of the white supremacist group The Order, active in the early 1980s. He established the group in 1983 with the goal of creating a white supremacist society through violent means, including armed robberies and assassinations. Matthews was heavily influenced by extremist ideologies, particularly those found in William Luther Pierce’s The Turner Diaries.

Upon arriving at Northgate Mall, Terry asks Jamie to cover him as he chases after a getaway car. Jamie freezes in panic, leaving Terry exposed as he fires three shotgun blasts at the fleeing vehicle. As Terry turns around, he spots a van with masked men slowly driving past. One of them aims a rifle directly at Terry, poised to shoot, but Bob places his hand on the rifle, signaling him not to. Terry is left shaken, both terrified by his brush with death and puzzled why the gunman spared him when he had a clear shot.

Jamie explains his theory to Terry that he believes the radical group is following “The Turner Diaries” as their blueprint. He outlines the book’s six-step strategy: recruitment, fundraising, armed revolution, domestic terrorism, assassinations, and ultimately large-scale attacks to take over the Capitol.

At the radical group’s headquarters in Metaline Falls, Bob Matthews leads a meeting to announce their progression to step five: assassination. He names Jewish radio host Alan Berg (Marc Maron) as their target. Bruce volunteers for the mission and receives Bob’s approval. On 18 June 1984, Alan Berg is killed at his home in a brutal attack, shot 12 times with a MAC-10 machine gun.

Alan Harrison Berg was a prominent American talk radio host and attorney known for his liberal views and confrontational interview style. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was raised in a Jewish family and became one of the youngest individuals to pass the Illinois state bar exam at the age of 22. His early career as a lawyer was marred by personal struggles, including alcoholism and health issues, which led him to leave law practice and pursue a career in radio. Berg’s radio career began in Denver, where he initially worked at KGMC before moving to KHOW and finally to KOA, where he gained significant popularity. Tragically, Berg’s life was cut short when he was assassinated on 19 June 1984. He was shot twelve times in the driveway of his home by members of the white supremacist group The Order, which targeted him due to his outspoken Jewish identity and liberal beliefs.

Directed by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel and written by Zach Baylin, The ORDER is an action thriller based on the 1989 non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt.

The Silent Brotherhood is a true crime book that provides an in-depth investigation into the radical-right hate group known as The Order. It details the group’s origins, ideology, and criminal activities, including violent crimes aimed at establishing a white supremacist homeland in the Pacific Northwest. The authors, Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, present a factual account based on real events, exploring how ordinary individuals were drawn into extremism and violence under the guise of patriotism and racial pride.

Originally published as THE SILENT BROTHERHOOD in 1989 by The Free Press, the book has been republished under the new title The ORDER as a Media Tie-In edition by Simon & Schuster on 3 December 2024.

The film effectively weaves together historical events around the white supremacist group The Order into a compelling detective thriller. The gradual revelation of the larger conspiracy – from seemingly isolated incidents to the group’s structured master plan – creates strong dramatic tension. The true crime elements make it more unsettling, showing how real-world extremist violence can be more disturbing than fiction.

The cast delivers great performances, particularly Nicholas Hoult, who is incredible in his role as Bob Matthews, proving that he is an insanely talented actor. In his first few scenes, I didn’t even recognize him as he fully embodies Matthews’ character through both his masterful accent work and mannerisms.

The ORDER premiered at Biennale di Venezia on 31 August 2024. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 6 December, by Vertical.

The Real Terrorist Group that Inspired The Order
The Order was a real terrorist organization that existed briefly in the 1980s. The Order began operations in September 1983. At the time, many white nationalists in the 1970s and 1980s were disillusioned by the U.S. failure to win the Vietnam War and wanted to exact a kind of revenge. Like many white nationalists, Mathews was influenced by the 1978 novel The Turner Diaries, about a white nationalist character Earl Turner who attempts to overthrow the U.S. government and plots to fly a plane with a nuclear warhead into the Pentagon.