True-crime thriller starring Jude Law gets huge ovation at Venice Festival

A brand-new gritty true-crime thriller featuring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult received a near 10-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.

The new film, titled The Order, is directed by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, known for Snowtown, True History of the Kelly Gang, and the 2015 version of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender. The film’s premiere follows other notable releases, including the highly anticipated sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie.

Jude Law, who will next be seen as a no-holds-barred Henry VIII in Firebrand, stars in The Order as an FBI agent investigating a series of bank robberies and car heists in the Pacific Northwest. His character’s investigation leads him to a white supremacist domestic terrorist organization, led by a ruthless leader portrayed by Nicholas Hoult.

To maintain the tension on-screen, both Law and Hoult did not communicate with each other at all on set. Reviews have praised this decision, highlighting the pair’s respective performances. During a press conference, Kurzel revealed that Law was tasked with tailing Hoult for a day without his knowledge. Law succeeded in this task, adding to the authenticity of the film’s tension.

Law commented on the film’s relevance, stating that its themes “sadly speak for themselves” and that it felt like an urgent piece of work that needed to be made now. Kurzel added, “I think we live at a time now that was reflected in the film, where there is division, and there’s a lot of conversation about the future and about ideologies. The film was about an ideology that’s incredibly dangerous and how it can quickly take seed… I think that’s a timeless thing, not only in America, but in Australia too.”

The Order is based on Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood: The Chilling Inside Story of America’s Violent, Anti-Government Militia Movement. The film is set to be released in the US in December, with Prime Video handling its international release.