There are obvious nods to The Kelly Gang, but compared to that film’s wildly psychedelic fever dream, The Order is a somber, steadily paced, conventional drama. Its charismatic cast delivers strong performances, the locations and time periods are beautifully recreated, and, best of all, the violent heists and shootouts are staged with a nerve-wracking intensity that recalls Michael Mann’s Heat. But it never quite hits the mark with the intensity the events demand. We see Husk brooding in the wilderness, sitting at a bar with an FBI colleague (Jurnee Smollett), visiting Jamie’s house, and Matthews hanging out with friends and family. While each of these scenes works well individually, they never combine to provide the kind of thrust the thriller needs to propel the story forward. Zach Baylin’s screenplay, adapted from a book by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, provides little sense of clues being uncovered, dots being connected, or a case being built, and the story plods along without gaining depth, pace, or interest. In fact, since the viewer knows exactly what Matthews is up to from the beginning, it’s vaguely frustrating that it takes Husk and his team so long to figure it out. They get the idea that the robberies and bombings might have something to do with guys who split off from a neo-Nazi church, but it definitely takes a while to get there.
Matthews seems far better at his job than his adversaries. While the FBI agents are prone to botching their operations and Husk himself is a reckless, impulsive mess, Matthews — tall, handsome, and polite — gives polished speeches about his beliefs and expertly plans and executes his crimes. This may be an accurate portrayal, but it even seems like a positive one. It’s hard not to worry that people who share Matthews’ warped views will appreciate The Order more than Kurzel would like.
★★★☆☆
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