The Order (2024)

The Order is the kind of visceral, intensely gritty crime thriller we don't see enough in cinemas anymore. Nicholas Hoult impresses as a deeply unlikeable white supremacist, but it's Jude Law who steals the film in his near unrecognisable role as a stoic, disheveled FBI agent who's forced to play cat-and-mouse with a domestic terrorist gang. Based on a true story, this gorgeously shot time capsule feels like a throwback in more ways than one, yet the themes it tackles remain timely nonetheless. One for fans of Hell or High Water, Blackkklansman and Michael Mann’s Heat.

What is it about small-town, rural America that lends itself so effectively to gritty, procedural thrillers like The Order? Jude Law puts in his best, most mature performance in years (maybe even decades) as the lead in this film, while Nicholas Hoult continues his incredible run of late with another enthralling depiction of villainy. The Order is a close relation to crime films like Hell or High Water and The Town, but is far more black and white in terms of who we should be rooting for. There’s also clear inspiration from Michael Mann’s Heat in terms of its cat-and-mouse narrative, albeit on a smaller, more intimate scale.