Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for The Order.Director Justin Kurzel offers a vague explanation for the hunting scene in The Order, which stars Jude Law as FBI agent Terry Husk and Nicolas Hoult as Bob Matthews, the leader of the white supremacist terrorist group called The Order. Based on the 1989 non-fiction book, The Silent Brotherhood, the film sees Husk team up with a local cop to uncover a series of domestic attacks in the United States orchestrated by The Order in the 1980s. Including the hunting scene, there are several occasions when Bob opts out of killing Terry.
When asked why Terry hesitated to shoot the deer and what Bob's intention is in the hunting scene, the director told Screen Rant that there's a "sort of pursuit" that Terry "thinks he's going to do," but he's "intimidated and in awe" by what's in front of him at the same time. This causes him to question "whether he wants to disturb that," while Bob is "underestimating Husk in that moment," among other things that are going on in the scene. Check out what he said below:
I don't know if I feel like answering that because there's a really lovely bit of ambiguity about how that scene plays out. What I will say is that Husk is an outlier in that place. He comes to that place and is intimidated and in awe of just the majesty of it. He spent all his time in New York, and this is really supposed to be a kind of life change for him. I think that there's this sort of pursuit that he thinks he's going to do, and this is a guy that's chased the mob and gunned down all sorts of people. He's definitely kind of an Alpha character.
But there's something about seeing something so beautiful and majestic and extraordinary as that elk is, especially in that environment, that there is a feeling of whether he wants to disturb that. Bob watches that and makes his own judgment about that, which may or may not have shifted what he was going to do in that moment. I liked how Bob was maybe underestimating Husk in that moment. So, there's a few things going on there, but I don't think I would probably nail it down to any one thing.
What This Means For The Order
The Hunting Scene Is A Crucial Moment In The Order
Terry and Bob are on the opposite side of the same chase. Their relationship is similar to a hunt, and the hunting scene in The Order seems to metaphorically depict the complicated and intricate relationship between Terry and Bob and the relationship they have with themselves. Terry is a troubled man, who goes hunting as a way to get away. He has an elk at gun point twice, but can't press the trigger. Similarly, Bob could've killed Terry on multiple occasions, but he opts out on the chance.
EXCLUSIVE: The Order star Jude Law explains how Husk's mafia story moment is what distinguishes him from Bob Matthews, despite their similarities.
Kurzel's comment reveals the nuance of the hunting scene and how ambiguity serves to depict all the different things that are going on in the scene. Seeing the vulnerability in Terry has an effect on Bob because not only would he perceive Terry as less of a threat, but this aspect of Terry also sparks his interest. The intense hunting scene that depicts the hunter and prey relationship with a spine-tingling twist has deeper meaning that helps explain the story The Order is telling.
Our Take On The Order
Terry & Bob Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin
The Order opened with positive reception, currently sitting with an 89% critical approval rate and 91% audience approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. Ambiguity seems to be a theme in the film, with the thriller less about explaining but presenting relationships and events in a way that provokes thoughts. Screen Rant's review of The Order notes the "lasting" effect of the film and how it centers on "the feeling" instead of the ideology of "hate."
The hunting scene is one of the most haunting scenes that leaves a lasting impression. It represents the nature of their relationship in a broader perspective. The film deliberately features many parallels between Terry and Bob and sees the paths they walk down fueled by hatred. The Order has a limited theatrical releases through Vertical, and is set to arrive on Prime Video some time after the initial release on December 6.
A lone FBI agent, stationed in a small Idaho town, uncovers a disturbing connection between a series of violent bank robberies and a white supremacist group known as The Order. As the investigation deepens, the agent finds himself up against a dangerous domestic terror organization bent on sowing chaos across the Pacific Northwest.
Director Justin Kurzel
Release Date December 5, 2024
Writers Zach Baylin , Kevin Flynn , Gary Gerhardt
CastMarc Maron , George Tchortov , Daniel Yip , Daniel Doheny , Sebastian Pigott , Jude Law , John Warkentin , Nicholas Hoult , Phillip Forest Lewitski , Vanessa Holmes , Bryan J. McHale , Rae Farrer , Carter Morrison , Odessa Young , Tye Sheridan , Philip Granger , Ryan Chandoul Wesley , Morgan Holmstrom , Bradley Stryker , Alison Oliver , Huxley Fisher , Jurnee Smollett , Randy Fisher , Geena Meszaros , Sean Tyler Foley , Victor Slezak , Matias Lucas , Sarah Haggeman , Dayna Lea Hoffman , Lenore Stillwell , Jason Long , Reid Fisher , Jerod Blake , Paul Wood , Shawn Markwardt , Judith Buchan , David LeReaney , Sally Bishop , Stafford Perry , Chantal Perron
Character(s) Alan Berg , Gary Yarbrough , Engineer , Walter West , Bruce Pierce , Terry Husk , Hotel Receptionist , Bob Mathews , David Lane , Bank Teller #1 , Bank Manager , Bank Teller #2 , Spokane Cop , Zillah Craig , Jamie Bowen , Sheriff Loftlin , Willie Bowen , Kimmy Bowen , Sam Stinson , Debbie Mathews , Clinton Matthews , Joanne Carney , Bonnie Sue's Father , Bonnie Sue West , Tony Bentley , Richard Butler , Tony Torres , Connie Pierce , Another Mother , Seattle Elderly Woman , Seattle Armed Guard #1 , Seattle Armed Guard #2 , Seattle Armored Truck Driver , Nazi Speaker , Brady's Gun Store Clerk , Birdie Lane , Donald Lane , Brinks Guard , FBI Agent , Jean Craig
English (US) ·