We finally have a movie about the people who rev their motorcycle engines at 1 a.m. when we try to sleep in peace. The Bikeriders is a new drama movie directed by Jeff Nichols, who previously made films like Take Shelter, Mud, and Midnight Special. The film follows the lives of the Vandals MC, a motorcycle club in the 1960s in Chicago. The story is told through the eyes of Kathy (Jodie Comer), getting interviewed by photographer Danny Lyon (Mike Faist). This is an exceptionally watchable movie with an all-star cast that really shines in its powerful character moments.
The framework of this movie is fascinating. The film itself is based on a photo book by real-life photographer Danny Lyon, and he interviews Kathy, a character who is not a member of the Vandals MC. She tells the story of meeting the eventual leader of the club, Johnny (Tom Hardy), and falling in love with the handsome Benny (Austin Butler). Shortly after hitching a ride home with him, she marries him. But as the events surrounding them become increasingly dangerous, the lives of her, Benny, Johnny, and everyone around them get pushed to darker places.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of The Bikeriders is how it focuses on these characters. The movie can jump around a bit as far as who we follow and whose struggles go into the forefront, but the most engaging aspects are the mentor-mentee relationship between Benny and Johnny and the romantic relationship between Benny and Kathy. It becomes clear early on what the central conflict is: the dangers of motorcycle clubs, a wife who wants her husband safe, and a mentor who wants the best out of the person he’s in charge of and trying to protect. Benny is torn between two worlds in this film, and when the movie leans into that, it’s at its strongest.
For a movie set in the 1960s, it works quite well in encapsulating that era. Nichols’s storytelling almost feels like a product of that time. It feels like a classic crime drama with all of these intertwined character relationships and a narrative that works very well. Hardy is giving Marlon Brando, Butler is giving James Dean, Comer is giving Elizabeth Taylor, and every supporting cast member from Michael Shannon to Norman Reedus feels like a perfect fit for this rich, textured world that Nichols has created.
Hardy gives a very strong performance as Johnny. Like many of his roles, he is doing a voice and accent entirely different from his own, and the confidence he brings sells this leader very well. Butler, who has already made quite an impression recently in Elvis and Dune: Part Two, is using his good looks and natural talent to his advantage here. He is very good here, even though you can tell he hasn’t shaken the Elvis voice off. Comer is doing another accent that matches her character very well, and she’s another actress who makes her job look easy.
At times, it can be strange to have this movie told from her perspective because it doesn’t always follow that. There are many scenes in The Bikeriders that Kathy was not present to see, so we don’t really know how accurate these scenes are. And the film doesn’t lean enough into the fact that she may be an unreliable narrator for this idea to work. The story can also meander a little, especially with a character known as The Kid, played by Toby Wallace. However, by the end of the movie, it becomes clear how important his scenes are to the narrative, even if it didn’t feel that way during the runtime.
There are a few moments when the movie could have gotten us into Benny’s head a little bit more. However, this is ultimately a very well-performed drama that showcases a lot of the intricacies of the world it introduces us to. You don’t have to be a motorcycle enthusiast to be invested in how this MC affects everyone. There are battles between rival clubs and one powerful scene where the club watches the bar they burned down. Surrounding them are the fire department and the police; they do nothing to apprehend the club because, as Johnny puts it, “They’re scared of us.”
Although The Bikeriders is not as memorable or impactful as it could be, there is much to admire about this film. It feels like Goodfellas, the type of movie that you see less often. The mid-budget drama movie has become an increasingly rare breed in Hollywood, especially original films like this. And when you have this much talent in front of and behind the camera, you can’t miss it.
SCORE: 7.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our The Bikeriders review.