THE BIKERIDERS (2024) - Movie Review

Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Toby Wallace, Norman Reedus, Paul Sparks
Genre: Crime, Drama
Writer: Jeff Nichols
Runtime: 116 min
Rated: R for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), 4K Ultra HD, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

THE BIKERIDERS captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.

Review:

Inspired by Danny Lyon's photo-book of the same name, "The Bikeriders" tells the story of the fictional Vandals Motorcycle Club (based on the real life Outlaws Motorcycle Club), tracing its evolution across a span of ten years, between 1965 and 1975, as it transforms from a freedom-seeking group of "Easy Rider" type rebels into something darker and considerably more violent.

I bet a lot of people were expecting something along the lines of "Sons of Anarchy" or "Mayans MC", but this movie is an entirely different animal. Writer/director Jeff Nichols focuses more on the feel of a time and place, and its gritty aesthetic. It's a portrait, really, much like the photo-book that inspired it, and as such it functions as an observation piece that tries to unpack the values of a counterculture phenomenon that still proves influential today. Another intriguing aspect is that the movie doesn't idealize these people as legends or icons, telling their story with brutal honesty and not an ounce of misplaced nostalgia.

Although Nichols approach feels a little too clinical at times, it doesn't neglect the characters' emotional depths, and the filmmaker assembled a strong cast that knows how to bring out the subtlest of nuances to light. Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer are riveting and help anchor the narrative with smart, charismatic performances that are immediately engaging.

Great cinematography, a rocking soundtrack and awesome sound design for the roaring engines complete the technical tour-de-force that adds fascinating levels of detail and authenticity to Nichols' American magnum opus. It might not be to everyone's liking, but it is a good movie about an intriguing chapter in American history and motorcycle culture, and it's well worth a try.

SCORE: 8/10