Justin Kurzel brought The Order, a film about the true story of the white supremacist terrorists who attempted a coup in Idaho, USA, in the 1980s, to the Festival yesterday in competition. The film, with a major cast consisting of Jude Law, Tye Sheridan, and Nicolas Hoult, is based on the investigative book The Silent Brotherhood by investigative journalists Kevy Flynn and Gary Gerhardt.
“The film highlights the sense of family and community that makes people feel safe and secure despite their political direction,” Jude Law explained to the press. “It felt right to make this film now. It was very interesting to lean into the authenticity of this character: his non-relationship to family and addictions. We wanted to put him in the position where the audience is asking, ‘Is he going to make it’?”
“A particular film,” director Justin Kurzel describes it, ”which is based on a story that happened in the 1980s but with many comparisons to the time in which we live. Something from the past that has a perspective on the present.”
Nicolas Hoult plays the leader of the terrorists and talks about working with Kurzel and Law this way, “Justin gave us posters to get into the characters. I had never prepared a character in this way. He gave us tasks, and among Jude’s tasks was to follow me around for a day. We didn’t even talk for the first four to five weeks. They kept us apart to keep our character energetic. The first time we talked was during the first scene where our characters interacted and it was really a powerful moment.”
“The film succeeded in exploring how a small community of people can be psychologically manipulated,” says Tye Sheridan. “I also come from a small town of 1,200 to 1,400 people where there is little exposure to the outside world. So a situation like the one in the film is very plausible. Our work was very emotional.”
