Directed by Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders is set in the 1960s and it follows the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members and their families, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a surrogate family for local outcasts into a violent organized crime syndicate, threatening the original founder’s unique vision and way of life.
Similar to Hit Man, this was another film that was making its way around different film festivals and was receiving a lot of high praise and it also caught my interest. I have always been fascinated with the true nature of motorcycle clubs that isn’t often portrayed accurately in media so I was eager to see what this had to offer. I ended up really enjoying The Bikeriders as I think it’s a very explorative and interesting tale about the life of a biker gang that is mostly engaging, thanks to an awesome cast that oozes with charisma and excellent writing that captures the gritty authenticity of motorcycle club culture in the Midwest. While it has some issues that prevent it from being perfect it is a very good and well-made film that I think a lot of people would enjoy even if you aren’t a fan of motorcycle clubs.
The cast is easily what makes this film so enjoyable to watch as they share electrifying chemistry as this collection of wild yet charismatic outcasts that feel like a true surrogate familiar, capturing what motorcycle clubs can be like before taking a darker turn. Every cast member gives their all to their respective characters but the biggest stand out for me personally was Jodie Comer as Kathy. Kathy is a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler), and is the leading character/narrator who is recounting the Vandals’ evolution over a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention constantly as life in the motorcycle club can become addictive but also highly dangerous.
Jodie Comer has proven herself to be an amazing actress numerous times though I was shocked by just how transformative she was with her performance in this film, having an incredible Midwestern accent and creating a strong presence even amongst a gang of hardcore biker dudes that could easily break her if they wanted to. She shares great chemistry and interactions with most of the gang, namely Austin Butler’s Benny and Tom Hardy’s Johnny, though I will admit I was wanting a bit more with her and Benny, given that the two are a married couple though don’t always seem like such all the time in the film.
Austin Butler fully embodies the attractive bad boy biker persona and continues to showcase how much of a talented actor he is as he gives the character of Benny so much emotional depth and charisma. This is a character who is deeply loyal to his fellow club members but is also so rebellious to the point that he constantly risks his life at every moment possible, acting like an adrenaline junkie. Now granted, you can understand where he is coming from as the freedom the Vandals lifestyle offers is extremely tempting to join, but then as things get more sinister in the gang throughout the film you see the dangers of being addicted to this lifestyle if you aren’t careful.
Tom Hardy is no stranger to playing intense roles where he brings so much energy and presence no matter what material he’s given, and his role as the leader of Vandals is no exception. This character is a mentor and almost fatherly figure to all of the members of the club, earning immense respect from them, but there is also an immense amount of intimidation he presents as well, to the point that he could be considered a dangerous man to cross. You mess with him or mess with any of his family members and he’s guaranteed to make your life hell, resulting in constant tension with his character throughout the film, which Tom Hardy portrays so excellently. At the same time, he does provide immense warmth with his character when interacting with members of his gang, showing that he isn’t a criminal monster or strict leader but instead the patriarch of the surrogate family that he cares for immensely, despite not being related by blood.
We get excellent and occasionally humorous supporting performances from other members of the gang including Michael Shannon as the bizarre but hilarious Zipco and Boyd Holbrook as the charm-filled Cal, but the biggest surprise supporting performance was the addition of Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny.
It was such a relief to see Norman outside of The Walking Dead franchise yet also extremely fitting to see him show up in a series like this, given how the man looks and sounds like a biker in real life. While his role in the film is brief he was such an enjoyable addition to the crew thanks to his performance, bringing a great amount of levity alongside the rest of the members.
The film’s narrative acts as somewhat of a saga of the life of this fictional biker gang but is written in such a great way that it authentically captures what it’s really like to be part of motorcycle club culture. Many people are under the assumption that all motorcycle clubs are criminal organizations when they first start out, but that is far from the truth as this film shows. The Vandals started as a unique and simple vision from Johnny as a group that likes to do lengthy road trips, share life stories, and hang out at bars or countryside areas just for fun, which is actually what most motorcycle clubs like to do depending on the members involved. It’s only when you include shady or dangerous people that you don’t know much about in the club that things can take a sinister turn, which is exactly what happens in this film.
What began as a manageable group of friends becomes a larger multi-state group that becomes impossible to control and therefore leads to more criminal activities being committed. In a way, it’s almost a cautionary tale of how a rebellious yet seemingly innocent lifestyle can be twisted into something terrible and it is all shown through these great characters who make it an engaging experience to watch.
One issue that I do feel this film’s narrative does have though is the pacing and how it can at times be really slow. Even with a fairly standard runtime of 1 hour 56 minutes, the film for me felt much longer than that, and despite having engaging elements it can tend to drag in a lot of places.
As for technical elements, this film has plenty to talk about, especially with its visuals, sets, and costumes. This film captures the beauty and almost untamed nature of the Midwest in the 1960s through stellar cinematography and very well-crafted sets that make you feel like you are in that era when watching this film. And yes we do get a lot of motorcycle action as one would expect, but I do like how they use and enhance the sound design of the motorcycles in this film in fun and audibly satisfying ways. For example, when the group rolls up on a certain location you can hear them before you see them, sounding like an impending swarm of wasps that definitely gives you instant goosebumps when hearing it.
This film features a decent score by David Wingo though it is mostly overshadowed by a large soundtrack of songs that are from that era. The soundtrack does get a little overbearing at times but not to the point where it ends up being annoying.
I had a great time with The Bikeriders overall and I think it’s a very well-made film that I think people should give a watch as it is an interesting and in-depth authentic look at motorcycle culture that is worth seeing, especially for its cast and story. I’m going to give The Bikeriders an A- = 93.
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