Radicalized opens Season 16’s fourth series on The Next Reel—three films about getting pulled into extremism, and breaking free. The series runs in chronological order: American History X (1998), Get Out (2017), The Order (2024). Get Out turns that pull into horror, and The Order plays it as a true-crime manhunt.
Pete and Andy revisit Get Out for the Radicalized series, digging into the modern-slavery horror underneath Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut and Chris’s arc from inaction to action.
We dig into “American History X” to open Radicalized, our new series on how people get pulled into extremism—and how one man tries to pull himself back out before it costs him everything.
Radicalized is a three-film series in Season 16 of The Next Reel. It asks one question: how does a person get pulled into an extremist movement? And what would it take to get out, or to stop one before it acts? The series opens with American History X (1998) and continues with Get Out (2017) and The Order (2024).
A Gang, a Mask, a Manhunt
Tony Kaye directs American History X. It follows a former skinhead trying to keep his younger brother out of the movement that shaped them both. Jordan Peele writes and directs Get Out, using horror to dramatize a different kind of racial violence. This one hides behind politeness instead of shaved heads. Justin Kurzel directs The Order, a true story about an FBI agent racing to stop an armed white nationalist cell.
Two Debuts and a Veteran's True Story
American History X is Kaye's narrative feature debut, made after a career directing commercials and music videos. Get Out is also a first feature, Peele's turn from performing and writing into directing. The Order comes from an established filmmaker. Kurzel had already built a body of work around real violence and true crime before taking this one on.
From Visible to Hidden
Radicalized tracks how the same basic pull changes shape across the three films. American History X shows it in its most visible form, a gang with shaved heads and tattoos. Get Out moves it underground, into manners and suspicion. The Order puts it back into the open, as an organized cell operating with real weapons and a real plan. The series runs in that order on purpose, tracing the subject from loud to quiet to loud again.
Anyone who follows the full run gets more than three film discussions. Pete and Andy bring craft, casting, and production history into every episode. Each conversation stands on its own, even for a listener who hasn't seen the other two films.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Next Reel's Radicalized series complete?
Radicalized is complete with the release of the third episode. Pete and Andy may return to the subject in a future season, so "complete" just means this three-film run.
Which films are in The Next Reel's Radicalized series?
American History X (1998, Tony Kaye), Get Out (2017, Jordan Peele), and The Order (2024, Justin Kurzel).
Where should I start if I'm new to The Next Reel?
Start with any of these three episodes to get a sense of the series. There is no prescribed order.
What connects the films in The Next Reel's Radicalized series?
All three ask how a person gets pulled into an extremist movement. Each also asks what it takes to get out, or to stop one before it acts. American History X gives that question a visible, overt shape. Get Out and The Order move it into quieter, more hidden territory.
Become a Supporting Member
The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Members of The Next Reel get every episode early and ad-free in their own private podcast feed. They also get the full archive of past bonus episodes, exclusive Discord channels, and access to live recording sessions. Become a member at TruStory FM.
Related Listening
If Radicalized brought you here, explore The Next Reel's Spike Lee series and The Next Reel's Hughes Brothers series next. Both dig into filmmakers who've built careers examining race, violence, and American identity from different angles. It's a natural next step for anyone drawn to how Radicalized handles its subject.