The Secret Society is based on the book, The United States of Secrets, by confidential agent,ivan Klein. Set in present day Las Vegas, Klein recruits a group of his best friends to go into business for themselves, traveling the country and doing what they do best: making money. The only catch is that they are invisible to the rest of the world. When their agent, Cameron, gets murdered, Klein must find out who killed him, whether it was an associate or an enemy alike. As he searches for the killer’s whereabouts, he finds out that he has a long list of enemies which includes the likes of billionaires, terrorists, the FBI, IRS and CIA.
For a movie that only lasts for a couple of minutes, the pace is remarkably fast and the acting is sometimes great. In one scene, Klein sneaks up on his enemies without their knowledge. Then he kills them all. The sense of urgency is clear as he states, “We are the Secret Society.” Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes both have good supporting roles as David Klein is the brains behind the operation while Morgan Freeman provides the expert advice.
Morgan Freeman does a good job as the character of Klein. He conveys humor and gives good analysis on how to deal with the psychological aspects of such a dangerous job. His character also discusses the differences between working with a big name company like Mandalay and working with a lesser known company like The Secret Society. His voice is calm and grave but at the same time, his facial expression is engaging and humorous. He is never mean or malicious but instead, shows a great caring when he states, “I’ll see you later, America.”
However, the main villain of this movie isn’t Tom Cruise or Katie Holmes. It is none other than Morgan Freeman. The writers didn’t realize it at first but in the third act, we learn that Morgan Freeman is actually the arch nemesis of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The twist doesn’t come as a surprise since Morgan Freeman is an accomplished actor with very varied and experienced careers. He has been involved in some very serious films such as Groundhog Day and Grease.
The plot revolves around two former classmates David Klein and Mike Weiss who decide to form a new secret society called the Order. They adopt the name The Order because they believe that is can be a force for good in the world. Just as soon as they adopt the name though, they find that their world is not as good as they thought. They are asked to help the authorities stop a group of terrorists planning to bomb a major event in the country.
The movie begins with the pair tracking down and executing a group of terrorists who have been planning to attack an Important Site for the Government. David and Mike are placed into the team. Their leader is a woman called Administrator who knows them well. Eventually, she takes on a double life and becomes Administrator herself. Shortly thereafter, David and Mike begin to realize the gravity of their situation. The two try to work out a way to help the authorities stop the terrorists without getting caught.
Eventually, they come across an old man named Nelson, who was recruited by the government many years ago. He was told that he was a witness to a secret test that took place which can only be told if you pass his Excellency test. However, the true story of what happened to him came to light when he tried to pass his Excellency test. Later in the film, we learn that he was actually working undercover as a double agent. At one point, he was framed for the murder of a government official and taken over the whole country.
In the end, he tries to help the authorities but ultimately gets killed by one of them. In the process, he swaps places with Mike Weiss (Tom Hanks) who ends up becoming the head of the Order. He then assigns each of the other members with a task that requires them to go around the country and recruit more members. Some of those members include David Klein and Administrator. The movie has some excellent acting which included many memorable scenes including the numerous battles and shootouts that took place.