Fate of Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult characters in Amazon Prime's The Order and what really happened

*Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Order on Amazon Prime*. A new Amazon Prime film is actually based on a disturbing true story with characters played by Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult inspired by real people. The Order is now available to stream for subscribers on the platform after it received a limited cinematic release in the US late last year. Following that initial run, it was praised as one of the best films of the year, with performances from Hoult and Law in particular being singled out for praise.

In the film, a string of violent robberies leads veteran FBI agent Terry Husk, played by Law, to a white supremacist group. Husk, who has moved to a new position in Idaho, hope for a lighter case load after working on investigations into the Ku Klux Klan and the Mafia. Instead, he finds a new dangerous foe lurking near his front door. This new militia inspired group, lead by a man named Bob Mathews, played by Hoult, want to overthrow the federal government. This story is actually based on real life events. While some parts are fictionalised they still hold some truth to them. Here's the real story behind the film and real people used as basis for its characters, reports Surrey Live.

The Order was a real neo-Nazi group, also known as The Silent Brotherhood. Run by white supremacist Robert Mathews, it was active between 1983 and 1984 and much like in the film, funded themselves by proceeds from armed robberies and also declared war on the US government. The film and real-life events both draw inspiration from The Turner Diaries, a 1978 novel by National Alliance founder William Luther Pierce, penned under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald. This book plays a crucial role in the evidence gathered by Jude Law's character in the movie.

Although Law's character is a work of fiction, he is based on a number of real life agents including Wayne Manis, the actual FBI lead who spearheaded the investigation into The Order. Manis, who retired from the bureau in 1994, still resides locally and authored The Street Agent, detailing his career and the case against The Order. TV lovers can get 30 days' free access to binge tantalising TV like The Boys and The Rings of Power by signing up to Amazon Prime. Just remember to cancel at the end and you won't be charged.

Law has mentioned that the film opted for a fictional agent to delve into his personal life and interactions with Hoult's character, "without upsetting or embarrassing anyone." Reflecting on The Order's true crimes, Manis recounted to a local news outlet: "They assassinated, they bombed a synagogue, they did armoured car robberies, multiple armoured car robberies, bank robberies, they did counterfeit. Robert Matthews formed a group of would-be terrorists and these people had decided there was too much talk, too much rhetoric and not enough action.".

The Amazon film, however, is based on a different book. Kevin Flynn, author of The Order: Inside America's Racist Underground, reveals that the group's ultimate aim was to establish "five Northwestern states-Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming- to be a whites-only nation.". The film depicts their most infamous robbery, where they surrounded an armoured car and made off with $3.6 million in cash. They also targeted adult book stores, which they deemed immoral, and bombed an adult cinema. But it was the murder of Jewish radio host Alan Berg, portrayed by comedian Marc Maron in the film, that led to their downfall.

Berg was a vocal critic of white nationalist groups and, according to Time, one member even called into his show before the killing to launch an anti-Semitic tirade. The Order met its end following a stand-off with the FBI that resulted in the death of leader Mathews. As officers demanded his surrender, Mathews refused and a flare reportedly accidentally sparked a house fire. Mathews perished in the flames. Manis recalled that night: "I stand there in the darkness all night and watch the house until there's nothing left but just smouldering ashes.".