The Bikeriders review

THE BIKERIDERS: 

AUSTIN BUTLER AND TOM HARDY MOTORCYCLE JOINT IS A STELLAR AND GRITTY RIDE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

FOCUS FEATURES

Austin Butler in The Bikeriders

 

            Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Elvis, Dune: Part Two) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road, Venom trilogy) go from Kings of Rock n Roll and Road Warriors to biker gang members in The Bikeriders, the new film from Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories, Mud, Midnight Special) and inspired by the photo-book of the same name by Danny Lyon. Despite not being a motorcycle or biker gang expert, I was hyped for this movie when I first saw the trailer and thought it looked like a riveting, gritty, and charismatic crime drama about a motorcycle gang especially with the likes of Butler, Hardy, and Jodie Comer (My Mad Fat Diary, Free Guy, The Last Duel) in the lead roles. 

            After seeing it, yeah that’s pretty much what I got. It probably won’t dethrone Easy Rider or The Wild One as a new standard for motorcycle-themed filmmaking, but I enjoyed this movie a lot and found it very enlightening and captivating throughout. 

            The film is set in the 1960s and is told from the perspective of Kathy Bauer (Comer), a woman who falls for Benny (Butler), the newest member of the Midwestern Motorcycle Club, the Vandals led by the charismatic Johnny Davis (Hardy). However, as the country evolves, the club shifts from a haven for local outlaws to a world of violence which forces Benny and Johnny to choose between Benny’s marriage with Kathy or their loyalty to the club. 

            The film also stars Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Premium Rush, Man of Steel) as Zipco, Mike Faist (West Side Story (2021), Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, Challengers) as a fictionalized version of Danny Lyon, Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints, American Gangster, The Walking Dead) as Funny Sonny, Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Logan, The Sandman) as Cal, Damon Herriman (Justified, J. Edgar, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Brucie, Beau Knapp (The Signal, Run All Night, Southpaw) as Wahoo, Emory Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines, Brooklyn, Blue Bayou) as Cockroach, Karl Glusman (The Neon Demon, Nocturnal Animals, Watcher) as Corky, Toby Wallace (Dark Frontier, Return to Nim’s Island, Babyteeth) as The Kid, and Happy Anderson (Mindhunter, Bright, Bird Box) as Big Jack. 

            Overall, The Bikeriders is a fascinating and gripping look at motorcycle culture and just a solidly crafted and entertaining film in general. I don’t think it’s required that you must be a motorcycle fanatic or be well-versed in motorcycle culture to enjoy this movie, I certainly wasn’t and I was invested all the way through and I felt I now know more about motorcycle culture than I did going into it. 

            The film effectively shows how biker gangs went from a way for adrenaline junkie rebels to get more action in their lives to becoming more violent and running drug operations and even prostitution. The first half seemingly glorifies biker gangs and motorcycles and then nose dives into the gritty and brutal reality of what it’s become which is sad to think that something so exciting could turn so violent and hardcore. 

            I also found it interesting that the film is essentially a love-triangle movie but instead of it being between different people, it’s between a man, his wife, and his hobby. Also, unlike other stories like this where the wife/girlfriend completely detests what her husband/boyfriend does and intense conflicts and arguments ensue, Kathy understands why Benny likes to ride despite her not really approving of it which was kind of refreshing to see. 

            All the performances are excellent (No surprise there given the cast) with Austin Butler and Tom Hardy being the biggest scene-stealers. Hardy being the charismatic but hardcore if needed leader of the bike gang with an American accent somehow even more hilarious than in Venom, regardless of that he brings his signature charm, at times some laughs, and also sells the dramatic aspects of his role despite that accent. 

            Butler is a lot more emotionally closed-off and rebellious than Hardy with riding being the only thing that brings him excitement and freedom and a lot of his acting is done with his face and he nails it spectacularly. Jodie Comer is also excellent as the audience’s surrogate into the motorcycle culture as the outsider who knows nothing about motorcycles or bike gangs brought in to the bike culture world due to her relationship with Butler’s Benny and a lot of focus is on her which explains why her name appears before Austin Butler and Tom Hardy in the credits. 

            I wouldn’t call these action sequences because this really isn’t an action movie and is more grounded in reality, but the bike riding sequences are amazing and demand to be seen on the big screen and heard through movie theater speakers. The sounds of the engines blast through the speakers and the way the bike scenes are shot and edited, it feels like you’re riding alongside them without the need for IMAX or one of those other premium formats. 

            I really enjoyed my time with The Bikeriders, it’s an impactful and riveting look at motorcycle culture and an exhilarating cinematic experience without being an overblown spectacle. Add in some Austin Butler and Tom Hardy charisma and moments of gritty realism and you got yourself a bike ride worth going on.