INDIANAPOLIS — In the 1980s, the FBI uncovered a series of bank robberies that were linked to a white supremacist group that was raising money to build an army, with a seven-stage plan to take over the country.
"The Order" recounts a piece of American history that many people don't know about.
"It has this uncomfortable relevance and place in society today and tells it in such a way that it's a pretty thrilling cat-and-mouse movie," said Oscar nominee Jude Law ("The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Cold Mountain"), who plays FBI agent Terry Husk.
Law's character takes a young sheriff's deputy under his wing, played by Tye Sheridan ("Ready Player One," "Mud").
"It was one of the most amazing opportunities I've ever had in my career," Sheridan said of working alongside Law. "He is a very, very serious actor and does a lot of preparation. He's very committed to his craft. For a young actor, it's amazing to see that and learn from that. He's also a great collaborator. He's trying to make everyone else around them as good as they can possibly be."
In the antagonist role is Emmy nominee Nicholas Hoult ("The Great," "The Menu") as the charismatic Bob Mathews, leader of the white supremacist group.
"Nick is a really good guy, a really nice man and a terrific actor," Law said. "We were kept apart and didn't actually meet until we meet on camera, so there's a moment in the film when we meet, and that was actually the first time we'd seen each other in the making of it."
X-Men mutants Beast and Cyclops are no longer working on the same team, as Hoult and Sheridan were superhero teammates but are working against each other in "The Order."
"Nick and I are really good friends. This is the fourth film we've made together. It was funny just to be on opposite teams here," Sheridan said.
Also among the ensemble cast is Emmy nominee Jurnee Smollett ("Lovecraft Country," "Birds of Prey"), who plays FBI agent Joanne Carney — in a role that she says was originally written as a man.
"I did a lot of research. I interviewed a lot of former special agents, women who served in the bureau during that time. I learned women weren't even in this role until the '70s. The first Black woman was admitted in 1976," Smollett said. "I really approached Carney as a loner, as someone who had to work her way up the ranks, being one of the 'only,' being an 'other.' That makes her determined to be the best."
The movie is set in 1983, which really isn't that long ago for something radical like this to take place.
"It's important for us to dissect these stories to understand how we got here and where we are, and how far we have to go," Smollett said. "It's an honor to be part of a story where we can create art that is, on one hand, a thriller and action-packed, but it also has an incredible message to it."
"The Order" opens in theaters Dec. 6.