Jude Law made a triumphant return to the big screen at the Venice Film Festival, earning a seven-minute standing ovation for his compelling performance in Justin Kurzel’s crime thriller, The Order. The film, which tackles the pressing issue of white supremacy, showcases Law as an FBI agent battling a dangerous neo-Nazi group.
Before the premiere, Law captivated the crowd on the red carpet at Palazzo del Cinema, looking striking in a black suit without a shirt underneath. Fans eagerly snapped selfies with the star, who graciously obliged.
As the film concluded, the audience erupted into applause, with Law, director Justin Kurzel, and co-stars Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Jurnee Smollett basking in the extended ovation. The applause could have continued even longer if the cast and crew hadn’t exited the theater, waving to the still-cheering crowd.
The Order, inspired by true events and based on the 1989 book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, is set in 1983 Idaho. The film follows a determined FBI agent as he investigates a series of violent bank robberies and car thefts, eventually uncovering a plot by a group of domestic neo-Nazi terrorists, led by the radical Robert Jay Mathews, played by Hoult. The group’s ultimate goal is to wage war against the U.S. government.
The film’s relevance was emphasized during a press conference earlier in the day, where Jude Law discussed the importance of addressing such themes in today’s world. “Sadly, the relevance speaks for itself,” Law remarked. “It felt like a piece of work that needed to be made now. It’s always interesting finding a piece from the past that has some relevant relationship to the present day.”
Director Justin Kurzel echoed this sentiment, highlighting the film’s contemporary significance. In a statement, he noted, “On January 6, 2021, nooses were hung in front of the Capitol Building imitating a fictional insurrection from the 1970’s novel The Turner Diaries, the first master plan for domestic terrorism in America.” Kurzel describes The Order as “a manhunt into the depths of that hate, a foreshadowing of a divided America, a warning shot of what has been and what may come.”
This marks Law’s return to the Venice Film Festival, having previously attended in 2016 for the satirical series The Young Pope. Nicholas Hoult, who portrays the extremist leader in The Order, is also no stranger to Venice, having attended the festival several times, including for his role in the 2009 film A Single Man alongside Colin Firth.
The Order is set for a U.S. release in December by Vertical, with Amazon Prime Video distributing the film in various international markets.
