The Order

For my last cinema trip of 2024 I'm happy to say that things ended on a strong note with a film that I was gratified I knew next to nothing about going in without even having seen a trailer. I won't lie, I had a splitting head ache watching this movie so it wasn't exactly the best viewing experience I've ever had but I suppose a compliment I can give the movie is that I was still razor focused on it despite that.

I've rarely seen Jude Law better than I have in this movie. He kind of just disappears into a role I've never really seen him in before and I loved the intensity and vulnerability he brought to this part. It's unfortunate that Best Actor is so stacked this year because otherwise I honestly think he'd be worthy of a nomination. Nicholas Hoult also continues his amazing streak with a character that could be written off as evil and he instead manages to imbue him with so much humanity that in certain scenes it can be easy to forget the horrific actions he's taken. Tye Sheridan plays a character that in a lesser film could've come across someone we've seen a lot of in movies like this but he plays it so effectively and has such good chemistry with Jude Law that nothing he does comes across as generic.

It definitely feels like a story structure we've seen before but it still absolutely comes across as its own movie. It's sickeningly effective in how it portrays violence and white supremacy and there were more than a few moments that sent chills down my spine. Like Heat, it's very much a two-hander between characters who rarely share scenes and it managed to pull that off very well. With it being an investigative story it could've easily felt as if characters were catching up to find out information that the audience already knows but I thought it spoon fed details out at just the right pace. I suppose the biggest issue I have is how the actual third act plays out. It just ends up feeling like the film has about 3 separate climaxes so the pace getting to the actual ending felt a bit uneven. But to the films credit for having 3 separate climaxes I can honestly say that I liked all of them.

The Order uses tried and tested tropes to tell its story in a wholly effective way. It's got a trio of outstanding performances and more than a few moments that are going to seared into my brain for a long time to come. It's very effective as a period piece but has a piece of text at the end which makes the whole thing feel shockingly relevant to today. It might feel like a type of film we've seen before but it's also the kind of movie I always look forward to getting new versions of.