The Bikeriders
After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy is inextricably drawn to Benny, the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny. 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.
- Released:
- Runtime: 116 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Stars: Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, Mike Faist, Toby Wallace, Beau Knapp, Karl Glusman, Happy Anderson, Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Michael Abbott Jr., Phuong Kubacki, Valerie Jane Parker, Radek Lord, Jim Freivogel, Erin Scerbak, Steve Marvel, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon
- Director: Jeff Nichols
Comments
- jimBonz - 2 July 2024
Jodie Comer is excellent but the movie is a bit flat
I have to agree with what some other people have said that Jodie Comer is the highlight of this movie but the rest is a bit flat.
Austin Butler is too pretty and laid back to be convincing as the unhinged Benny despite his best efforts at brooding.
Tom Hardy looks good and is closer to the mark but I'm still not 100% sold.
Were Austin Butler and Tom Hardy primarily chosen for how they look?
There's not much of a story or drama. It's as if the film was deliberately toned down to make it commercial and by doing so any edge that it could have had is killed off.
The film effectively acts as a vehicle to show off Jodie Comer's presence and acting ability. She comes out with some of the best facial expressions I've ever seen and while I'm not 100% convinced of her Chicargo-ness it doesn't seem to matter. - cfh-49061 - 30 June 2024
As drama and sociology, it succeeds admirably
As with mobster movies Like "Goodfellas" and "Donnie Brasco," the motorcycle gang genre provides crime drama and, at its best, insight into why members of outlaw organizations do what they do. "The Bikeriders" is such a film. It's about motorcycles, all right, but it's also about the interplay of friendship and crime. Set in Chicago during 1965-73, this somewhat fictionalized account of the life and times of a real Chicago-based biker gang, the Vandals, as chronicled in a late-60s book by journalist Danny Lyon, presents a classic character paradox: often repellent yet occasionally endearing. Like "The Sons of Anarchy" and Hunter S. Thompson's book on the Hell's Angels, the Vandals flip the bird at the rules of respectable society yet brutally impose their own rules on members. Group loyalty is everything. Nobody rides for free. Someone messes with one of your members, you retaliate ten times as hard. Yet on some level, these reprobates are looking for absolution.
Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, respectively, alpha dog and wing man, lead this cast of Bad Boys in their quest for speed, power, combat and comraderie and direction as a corrective to their own directionless lives. Hardy, who does his best Marlon Brando (his character early in the film can be seen watching a clip from a TV rerun of "The Wild One" with his wife and kids, is convincing, as much as his work in the British true-life crime flick of several years ago, "The Krays." Butler is as tough and charismatic as he was a couple years ago starring in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis." The conflicts with rival bikers and with their wives (Butler's wife grows exasperated to the point of giving her husband an "it's them or me" ultimatum). Michael Shannon does a great supporting turn as a wild-eyed redneck member.
Interspersed at various points is a young journalist, a Danny Lyon-like character, conducting interviews with various members and wives, getting them to open up about their desires and insecurities. In other words, the movie can be seen as a documentary about how the book was written as well as a saga of the rise of a gang. It's also a series of character sketches on why loyalty and violence so often go hand in hand. Director Jeff Nichols ("Mud," "Take Shelter") knows this territory well.
The Vandals are Old Guard. Money and fame interest them far less than friendship and unlimited freedom. By contrast, their challengers for dominance, an upstart bunch of much younger punk bikers more obsessed with criminal empire-building.
Let it be known that I abhor what criminals do. But there are reasons for their behavior and their cynicism toward the straight world that doesn't have much use for them. "The Bikeriders" doesn't put a halo around the heads of the Vandals. And it shows how a biker's life expectancy can be short. But it also shows why misfits are capable of redemption. For these reasons, the film should not be missed. - kevin_robbins - 20 June 2024
The Bikeriders is a magnificently crafted film with a unique storyline, excellent cinematography, and compelling performances
My wife and I attended an advanced screening of The Bikeriders (2023) in theaters this evening. The storyline is based on a book by a photographer who was part of a biker gang and follows a group of friends in Chicago who decide to start a biker gang. As the gang grows, they face challenges within their dynamic. Meanwhile, as troops return from Vietnam, a new dynamic impacts their culture.
This film is directed by Jeff Nichols (Mud) and stars Tom Hardy (Bronson), Austin Butler (Elvis), Jodie Comer (The Last Duel), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), and Mike Faist (West Side Story).
This is a phenomenal period piece with a unique and compelling storyline, especially when you realize it is based on a true story. The narration, cinematography, attire, acting, and soundtrack are all top-notch. There's also an excellent use of a shovel that was memorable. The film immerses you in the era. The cast was brilliantly selected and delivers authentic, compelling performances. Hardy exhibits Brando-like mannerisms, and Austin Butler is seriously this generation's James Dean. Both are outstanding. Norman Reedus adds a fun character to the mix. The storyline becomes more compelling as the film unfolds, and the Vietnam subplot is handled excellently. The ending feels realistic in its dramatic execution and in the evolution of the characters and gang.
In conclusion, The Bikeriders is a magnificently crafted film with a unique storyline, excellent cinematography, and compelling performances. I would score this an 8/10 and strongly recommend it. - cinemapersonified - 6 November 2023
Pretty Good Movie
Rating: 7.9 Overall, a pretty good movie into the life of the golden era of midwest biker gangs as the performances (especially Jodie Comer's) and the technicals make this an engaging and interesting movie, though the slice of life nature drags it down the first half and rushes the overall conflict.
Good Direction (Controls everything very well on a macro-scale as the bike-riding and gang-affiliated scenes are very well choreographed and the most engaging parts of the movie (and this is only aided by the cinematography and editing); does a pretty good job on controlling the mirco-scale scenes (though they can get a bit repetitive); the storytelling is a little too similar to Goodfellas as it uses the first half to be a slice of life of the gang and the second half to show its descent into chaos; directs his actors well as the gang as it helps make the characters interesting), Good Acting (Very Good from Jodie Comer (Really embodied the character and took it as far as the material could take her; was the true protagonist of the movie as we saw the world through her eyes), Pretty Good to Good from Austin Butler (Was as good as he could be given his character isn't given that much to work with because of how mysterious and quiet he is), Good from Tom Hardy (Used a lot of experience playing a hardened guy to carry his performance; has good chemistry with Austin Bulter), Pretty Good to Good from Michael Shannon (Isn't given that much screentime but makes the most of what he is given), Pretty Good from the rest of the cast (Feels as if they are midwestern versions of Goodfellas or in the mob)), Good Story (The concept was very interesting as Nichols uses the source material well to create a very engaging story; The story construction felt very slice of life as the first hour was really about getting to know the people in the gang (which put a lot of emphasis on the end to show the downfall), but this presented some issues as not all the characters were that interesting so it dragged down the movie; the flow between sequences was not the best as the slice of life moments really don't build to anything and the flow in the second half feels kinda forced and rough; the character writing was very good as he wrote Kathy very well in being a caring partner trying to leave the culture and Benny as this ominous figure that has a sense of charisma)), Good Screenplay (The dialogue was pretty simple as it complements how the people in that culture and time spoke, a good amount of the dialogue was actually said in real life/from the recordings; the humor felt inspired by the time period and had some flavors of Goodfellas with how jokes were spread around the gang; there was minimal symbolism (could see the clash between the new and the old guard with the use of cars), but the overall symbol of the fall of the golden generation of biker gangs was present; the foreshadowing was pretty overt), Decent Score/ Pretty Good Soundtrack (helped with setting the tone), Very Good Cinematography (Felt very polished and was used very well in the biking scenes), Great Sound (Felt very crisp and made the motorcycle scenes more memorable and engaging), Good Editing, Pretty Good Production Design (Did a Pretty Good job at emulating the Midwest in that time period but did do that much research at emulating 'Chicago'), Good Costumes (Enjoyed the biker jackets and the idea of colors as it is used as a good plot point), Plot Structure was very similar to Goodfellas as the first hour is meant to act as a 'slice of life' into the biker gang and the second half is really about the downfall of the gang (but because of this the movie feels like it is dragging from the first half); about 10-15 minutes of the first half could have probably have been cut because of how repetitive it is, Pacing was different for each part of the movie (the first half was pretty slow in establishing the characters and a bit too fast in the second half), Climax was executed pretty well and shows the downfall of the golden generation in the gang (with it being engaging in certain scenes); the exposition does not do the best in carrying the momentum created from the climax but does a decent job at ending the movie, Tone was a lot more comedic than I thought it would be (would've liked to have seen more of the grit and dark nature of what it meant to be a Vandal during that time); emulates the tone of Goodfellas (which was a stylistic choice from the director), Saw a premiere at Austin Film Fest.
