December 27, 2024 – I have a particular interest in this film because of its connection to where I live. More importantly, this movie is about a dangerous political movement which is more prevalent now.

In 1983, an agent in a sleepy rural Idaho FBI office becomes aware of dangerous activity at a previously unknown White Nationalist splinter group, “The Order.” Inspired by the infamous book “The Turner Diaries,” charismatic leader Bob Matthews (played by Nicholas Hoult of “Mad Max: Fury Road”) is determined to build an army to start a race war, overthrow the U.S. government and expel non-Caucasians from the nation.

Burned out FBI Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law of “Captain Marvel”) had never heard of such a violent hate group before, but a local deputy sheriff, Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan of “Ready Player One”) is familiar with some of people associated with The Order, and convinces Husk to look into it.

Husk and Bowen learn of a missing man who may be associated with The Order and eventually they uncover the man's bullet-riddled body. Husk begins to believe there is a connection between the hate group and the murder. More murders, bombings, armed robberies and counterfeiting operations follow, which gets the attention of those higher up in the Bureau.

The highest profile killing is that of Denver radio talk show host Alan Berg (Marc Maron of “To Leslie”) who is gunned down by the order, mostly because he ridicules their beliefs on the air, and he is Jewish. This is part of the movie which hits close to home for me. Two of the characters in the movie portray former Laramie residents, one of whom went to prison for years for her role in Alan Berg's murder.

These two people, along with Bob Mathews, and several leaders of The Order, attended some services at the LaPorte Church of Christ, some 60 miles south of Laramie, back in a time when the church's minister, the late Peter J. Peters, used to preach a form of Anglo-Israelism (also known as “Christian Identity”). Peters also had a ranch near Laramie.

Christian Identity is preached in the movie by Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler, played by Victor Slezak of “The Report.” Christian Identity is anti-Semitic and racist. It holds that the white, non-Jewish people of Europe and America are the true Chosen People.

Peters headed a meeting in Estes Park, CO (not far from Laramie) in October, 1992, to which Butler was invited. This is regarded by some as the foundational meeting of the modern anti-government and militia movements. Mathews was a member of Aryan Nations, but felt that talk and politics were not achieving its goals fast enough for him, so he founded the splinter offshoot, The Order. In the movie, Butler and Mathews are both opposed to each other's methods. Husk and Bowen approach Butler concerning Mathew's activities, but he is evasive.

Jude Law gives one of his very best performances in this film. He portrays a man driven to put a stop to The Order's crime spree, even as his own life and family suffer from his obsession. Jurnee Smollett (“The Burial”) gives a strong performance as Husk's boss, who has a history with him and knows his strengths and weaknesses. Morgan Holmstrom of the “Skymed” series, gives a strong performance as Kimmy Bowen, Jamie's wife.

Nicholas Hoult gives a powerful performance as the equally driven Mathews, willing to sacrifice everything for his cause. A strong supporting performance comes from Alison Oliver (“Saltburn”) who plays Debbie Mathews, Bob's long-suffering wife. Director Justin Kurzel (“Nitram”) and cinematographer (“The King”) combine to give this movie a look of rural America, of dusty back roads, old houses and breathtaking wild scenery (despite its non-authentic Canadian locations).

This is a crime drama set in the past, but it strongly relates to the present. I was struck by what Butler says to Mathews in the movie, when he warns the younger man against his dark, violent path. Butler says to wait, be patient, “We seek the same goals. In 10 years, we'll have members in the Congress, the Senate. That's how you make change, but progress takes time.” Today, White Nationalists have, indeed accumulated power in the U.S. government over the years, as Butler predicted. They will ascend higher on January 20, 2025. They basically have taken power without firing a shot.

A pre-credits intertitle at the end of the film indicates, “The Turner Diaries has been used as a blueprint for domestic terrorism for over 40 years, influencing events from the Oklahoma City bombing to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.” This is a scary movie, almost as scary as today's political reality. It rates a B+.

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