The Order movie ending explained: What happens to Bob Mathews in the end?

The historical action thriller film The Order premiered in the competitive section at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in August, 2024. It is based on the 1989 non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt.

Directed by Justin Kurzel and written by Zach Baylin, the film revolves around an FBI agent who tries to take down a white supremacist terrorist group who calls themselves The Order. The radical titular organization is headed by the captivating leader Bob Mathews.

By the end of the film, Mathews loses his life when he is cornered by the law enforcement agencies. Terry Husk, the FBI agent, is helped by Jamie Bowen, a local police officer, in his mission, and his timely interventions prove successful in stopping the nationwide chaos planned by the group.

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Bob Mathews dies by the end of the film

Terry (played by Jude Law) and Bob (played by Nicholas Hoult) in The Order. (Image via Instagram/@arcanastudio)

Much of the plot of the film plays out in the form of a high-octane cat and mouse chase between Terry and Bob. In fact, even though the two belligerent parties come within each other's grasp several times in the film, an intense showdown between the two happens only at the end of the film.

At the end of The Order, Bob, the leader of the white supremacist group, is cornered by a SWAT team which sets his safehouse on fire. Terry sprints into the burning house in order to confront his formidable enemy. However, when they meet, they do not shoot at each other.

Terry does fire a shot but only after Bob has entered the washroom and closed the door shut. There, he puts on a gas mask and goes into the bathtub, where he breathes his last. Meanwhile, Terry rushes out of the burning house to save himself.

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What was The Order’s plan in the movie?

Jude Law as Terry Husk (Image via Instagram/@arcanastudio)

Mathews wanted to stage an armed revolution against the United States government so that the polity could be rearranged in keeping with his white nationalist perception. His philosophy was heavily derived from the book The Turner Diaries, written in 1978 by William Luther Pierce.

Part of his plan was to cause widespread chaos in the country. In The Order, it is Terry who for the first time discerns a pattern between the various acts of robberies, heists, among others, that have been happening across the Pacific Northwest.

The Order also shows how Mathews planned to even kill the then United States Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. The film details how the group tried to outright overthrow the elected American government. Also part of the plan was to kill Alan Berg, a Jewish radio host in Denver.

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Who killed Berg?

Due to his Jewish identity, an attack on Berg would be in line with the group's Aryan leanings. Though Mathews ordered the assassination of Berg, it was Bruce Pierce, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, who pulled the trigger eventually, and David Lane, another member of the group, drove the getaway car to the crime spot.

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What happens to Jamie?

A still from the film (Image via Instagram/@arcanastudio)

Throughout the film, the energetic Jamie Bowen (played by Tye Sheridan) plays second fiddle to Terry. Jamie Bowen is a young local police officer who helps the FBI agent close in on Bob. However, during a violent police chase, he is shot by Bob, eventually losing his life.

Terry immediately rushes to Jamie as Bob flees. However, it becomes clear that though the death of his partner affects him to an extent, it will not be enough to hold him back significantly. As a veteran officer of the FBI, Terry has seen such deaths before. So, Terry moves ahead with his goal after Jamie dies.

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The Order had a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 6, 2024. It will be released in the UK on December 27, 2024.