In Washington DC, FBI agent Nate (Radcliffe) is ostracised from the team because of his thoughtful approach to the war on terror. But colleague Angela (Collette) thinks this might make him perfect for undercover work. And when radioactive material goes missing, sparking fears of a dirty bomb attack by white-power activists, she sends Nate undercover as a neo-Nazi. With underground conspiracy-theorist broadcaster Dallas (Letts) as his target, Nate studies up on the cause and befriends three racist skinheads (Numrich, Szajda and Druid) and leaders Gerry and Andrew (Trammell and Sullivan). And they're planning something big.

Writer-director Ragussis keeps the film edgy and dark, coaxing vein-poppingly intense performances from the strong cast. Radcliffe delivers another compelling turn as a loner who transforms himself into a tough guy, His life depends on never letting his revulsion show. As tough as her character is, the lively Collette adds a welcome blast of feminine energy. Trammell is solid as a reasonable family-man with reprehensible ideas, while his young acolytes are misguided hotheads. The real villain here is Letts' rabble-rouser, carelessly promoting hatred and pushing vulnerable listeners to violence.

The script continually plays on fears of home-grown terrorism, angry bigots who are willing to cause mind-boggling horror to make their point. Without showing even a hint of sympathy for their message, Ragussis and the cast make these guys (there are no women) complex and even sometimes likeable. They're angry young men who have had their emotions channeled into something potentially dangerous. This gives the film a remarkable resonance, drawing parallels between any kind of extremism.

Because of the gravity of these ideas, the film is gripping, keeping the audience guessing about where it might be headed. Some of the suspense feels a bit artificial, cranked up for cinematic effect, especially as the plot begins to head for a bigger action-style climax that never quite materialises. But it's strikingly well-played and directed with gritty realism. And the larger ideas in the story are so powerful that the film not only grabs the attention but lingers long afterwards.

themes, language, violence

17.Sep.16