Released: 21st June 2024 (UK and US)
Length: 116 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman and Norman Reedus
From Easy Rider to Wild Hogs, the allure of Harley Davidsons and leather jackets has been well documented on film. Directed by Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders is a period piece crime drama done right, fully committing to its story and setting.
Beginning in the 1960s at the height of counter-culture, we follow the rise of fall of the Vandals Motorcycle Club. Kathy (Jodie Comer), who falls in with the group after marrying one of their members, tells the story to a travelling photographer named Danny Lyon (Mike Faist), whose work served as real-life inspiration for the film. The Vandals are led by Johnny (Tom Hardy) with his close lieutenant Benny (Austin Butler) at his side. Between drinking in bars, getting into fights and dealing with tragedy, the audience is treated to a vivid representation of their lifestyle and how it changed over time. The overall plot is very self-contained, choosing to home in on the characters. Kathy is a great anchor point and her narrations really pull the audience into the action; it will remind you of other crime classics like Goodfellas when watching. There are many shots of the bikes tearing up and down the open roads, but the plot also takes the time to show the group dynamic and where it leads. With that said, the film could have used some additional depth when it came to the time period. The sixties and early seventies marked a time of great upheaval for America and it would have been interesting to see the Vandals interact and take stock of the wider changes. We get some nods to the then ongoing Vietnam War but that’s as far as it goes.
The leading trio is very well done with some standout performances. Kathy’s distinctive voice and mannerisms instantly stand out and further down the line when she is put through some abusive behaviour, you believe her stress and frustration. Benny is a man of few words with Austin Butler doing a brilliant job conveying his wayward mannerisms; if it wasn’t for the camaraderie of the gang and his relationship with Kathy, he would be a lost soul endlessly drifting from place to place. At his side is Tom Hardy as the assertive and measured leader of the gang. Being older and more experienced, he takes his time to think and then respond to others at many moments. Some of the other members have their own highlights too; Michael Shannon has a solid monologue where his character shares some disdain for the college kids and higher authority. It’s very interesting to see what brought the gang together, though not every character is fully engaging. The biggest outlier is Norman Reedus who arrives late in the story and doesn’t have a major role to play. Still, the best aspect of The Bikeriders is its restraint; it doesn’t rely on dialogue and conveys much of the emotion through expressions and body language. The way the characters interact fuels their brotherly bonds and we see how they start to fray and break apart over time. The Bikeriders has a lot to say about masculinity, rebellious behaviour and the inevitable self-destruction that unfolds. For the most part, the characters embody these themes to the letter.
From the chrome engines to the small-town communities, every detail of the setting is very detailed. The costume work is on top form and the lighting is excellent, especially when it’s just Benny and Johnny discussing the gang’s future late at night. It sets the perfect tone for their scenes and the trust they share. The choice of framing for the violence is also intriguing, often smash-cutting away just before we see some nasty injuries; it’s a very effective way to show the brutality without resorting to graphic gore. The soundtrack is exactly what you’d expect, a set of tracks from that time period that fit in without issue.
It could have used some extra background context and some of the characters are hollow, but The Bikeriders stays the course as a well-written and gripping drama. The film fully immerses you into 1960s America, showing how the titular community evolved and mutated over time with some strong performances to boot.
Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)
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