Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult Face Off in Gripping True-Crime Thriller Inspired by Disturbing Real Events

A tense crime thriller starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult brings one of the FBI’s most unsettling investigations to the screen, transforming a real-life manhunt from 1980s America into a dark battle between an agent and the leader of a violent white supremacist group.

The Order, directed by Justin Kurzel, follows FBI agent Terry Husk, played by Law, as a string of increasingly violent robberies across the Pacific Northwest begins pointing toward something far more dangerous.

Nicholas Hoult stars opposite him as Robert Jay Mathews, the leader of the extremist organisation at the center of the investigation.

The film aired on BBC Two at 10pm on Sunday, October 4, 2026, after previously arriving on UK streaming in 2025.

The Disturbing True Story Behind The Order

The film is inspired by events documented in Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s 1989 nonfiction book The Silent Brotherhood.

The real group known as The Order operated during 1983 and 1984 under Mathews. Its members committed robberies and other crimes to finance their plans for an armed uprising against the US government.

Among their most significant crimes was a July 1984 armored-car robbery in California that netted approximately $3.6 million.

The organisation also targeted adult businesses and bombed an adult cinema.

But the murder of Denver radio host Alan Berg, portrayed by Marc Maron in the film, intensified scrutiny of the group and became a major element of the subsequent investigation.

A Fictional FBI Agent Inside a Real Investigation

Jude Law’s Terry Husk was created for the film rather than being a direct portrayal of one historical FBI agent.

However, the character draws inspiration from multiple agents who worked on the real investigation, including Wayne Manis, who helped lead the pursuit of Mathews and his organisation.

The investigation eventually culminated in a dramatic confrontation involving Mathews on Whidbey Island.

Another important element of the case was the group’s fixation on The Turner Diaries, a 1978 extremist novel by William Luther Pierce, writing under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald.

The Order treated the book as an ideological blueprint for its ambitions, making its influence an important part of the story surrounding the group.

An Acclaimed Cast Brings the Manhunt to Life

Alongside Law and Hoult, the film stars Tye Sheridan as Jamie Bowen, Jurnee Smollett as Joanne Carney, Alison Oliver as Debbie Mathews and Marc Maron as Alan Berg.

Zach Baylin wrote the screenplay, with Kurzel directing the thriller in a restrained style that places much of its emphasis on the escalating tension between investigators and the group they are pursuing.

The robberies, confrontations and growing sense of danger drive the story as Husk realizes the crimes he is investigating are connected to something much larger.

The Thriller Earned Strong Reviews

The Order has attracted considerable critical and audience praise.

According to the figures cited for the film, it holds a 93% Tomatometer score and an 89% Popcornmeter audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Its performances have been particularly well received, with Law and Hoult anchoring the film from opposite sides of the investigation.

Rather than relying on elaborate fictional twists, much of the film’s unsettling power comes from knowing that the central criminal organisation, its ideology and many of the events surrounding the investigation were drawn from reality.

For viewers who missed its BBC Two broadcast, The Order is also available to stream on Prime Video in the UK.