Story ~ 6 ⭐
Acting ~ 8 ⭐
Cinematography ~ 9 ⭐
Overall Terry Review ~ 7.6 ⭐
First of all, my concern going in was that this was going to be highly political, something a little too heavy-handed, and the good news, it was not.
The movie starts with an intriguing voice–over from Marc Maron, a surprising treat to people who’ve heard his podcast. Marc plays Alan Burg, an outspoken talk-show host from the 80’s.
The film does a great job of grabbing the audience from the get-go. I was hooked immediately, and it really did not let go until the sagging middle.
Acting ~ 8 ⭐
Jude Law’s performance stole the show. His role as the (FBI agent) protagonist was interesting and nuanced but was not without the common tropes, but that’s okay and what we expect. His performance was by far the best followed, not by the antagonist, but by Alison Olver, who plays the antagonist’s wife.
Nicholas Hoult, chief antagonist, was underwhelming. This probably falls on the director or just a bad casting call. We needed more—we needed a mastermind villain. Unfortunately, the hero can only be as good as the forces of antagonism against him, and this performance fell short for me.
Story ~ 6 ⭐
Story—Alfred Hitchcock famously said, “To make a great film you need three things – the script, the script and the script.” I don’t completely buy into this because without a great picture (and sound) and a good cast, a film cannot be great. But this film fell short in the script department.
Aside from the already mentioned, it lacked pressure on the protagonist from the villain. Hitchcock also said, “The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.”
Okay, onto the great things about this film.
Cinematography ~ 9 ⭐
This film is stunning. I’m recommending a theater watch for this one. The sweeping landscape, natural beauty, action sequences, and creative frames were some of its best features, and it’s why the film’s cinematography grabbed its top spot. This film will immerse you in its picture, credit Director Justin Kurzel and DP Adam Arkapaw.
This should be enough to get you to the theater, but if not, take a look at the trailer below, and a side note for crime drama fans: this film had hints of HEAT.
Favorite quote from the film:
“One thing that shall never die is the fame of the dead man’s deeds.”
The Order Official Trailer
The Order Official Poster
