‘Gripping’ True-Crime Thriller The Order Comes To BBC Two Tonight
Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult face off in The Order, a tense crime thriller inspired by the real-life FBI investigation into a violent white supremacist group in 1980s America.
The film, directed by Justin Kurzel, originally arrived on UK streaming in 2025. Now, viewers can watch it free on BBC Two at 10pm on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
Based on true events, The Order follows FBI agent Terry Husk, played by Law, as he investigates a series of increasingly violent robberies across the Pacific Northwest. His pursuit eventually leads him to The Order, a white supremacist group led by Robert Jay Mathews, played by Hoult.
A Crime Story Rooted In Real Events
The film draws from Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s 1989 non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood, which documented the activities of the real group.
The Order operated in 1983 and 1984 under Mathews and financed its campaign through crimes including bank and armoured-car robberies. The group sought to use the money to support its plans for an armed uprising against the US government.
One of the group’s most notorious crimes was an armoured-car robbery in California in July 1984, when its members escaped with $3.6 million.
The group also targeted adult bookstores and bombed an adult cinema. But its murder of Denver radio host Alan Berg, portrayed in the film by Marc Maron, brought the organisation under much greater scrutiny and became a key part of the investigation.
The Turner Diaries And The Investigation
The real-life Order was heavily influenced by The Turner Diaries, a 1978 novel written by William Luther Pierce under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald.
The group treated the extremist novel as a blueprint for its revolutionary ambitions, making it an important element of the evidence uncovered during the FBI investigation.
While Terry Husk is a fictional character, his role draws on several real FBI agents involved in the case, including Wayne Manis, who led the investigation. Manis later retired from the bureau in 1994 and wrote The Street Agent, detailing his career and his work on the case.
The real investigation ultimately became a lengthy pursuit of Mathews and his organisation, culminating in a dramatic confrontation on Whidbey Island.
Jude Law And Nicholas Hoult Lead The Cast
Law plays FBI agent Terry Husk, with Hoult portraying Robert Mathews, the charismatic but dangerous leader of The Order.
The cast also includes Tye Sheridan as Jamie Bowen, Jurnee Smollett as Joanne Carney, Alison Oliver as Debbie Mathews and Marc Maron as Alan Berg.
The film was written by Zach Baylin and directed by Justin Kurzel, whose approach gives the story a restrained but intense atmosphere. The BBC’s review praised the performances, period setting and the nerve-rattling staging of the film’s robberies and shootouts.
Viewers Have Praised The Thriller
Since its release, The Order has attracted strong audience reactions, particularly for its performances and its fact-based story.
The film currently holds an 89% Popcornmeter audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its Tomatometer score stands at 93%. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as a grippingly intense thriller, with Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult singled out for their performances.
The film has also been praised as an old-fashioned crime thriller that relies on tension, strong acting and its real-world subject matter rather than elaborate twists.
When And Where To Watch The Order
The Order airs on BBC Two at 10pm on Sunday, October 4, 2026. It is also available to stream on Prime Video in the UK.
For viewers interested in true-crime dramas, historical investigations and tense manhunts, the film offers a disturbing look at one of the FBI’s real-life confrontations with an organised white supremacist group.