Let go of any preconceived notions you may have about The Bikeriders. Writer/director Jeff Nichols (Mud) took Danny Lyon’s 1968 photo book about the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club and fashioned a fictional tale of the Vandals motorcycle club and the woman in their lives. The trailers emphasize the men and their bikes but neglect to highlight the film’s most complex and interesting character, Kathy. Flawlessly played by Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Kathy’s the heart and soul of the film, with Comer’s performance being the reason to see it.
The Bikeriders charts the evolution of the Vandals motorcycle club from a group of guys who just love bikes into an outlaw gang that its founder, Johnny (Tom Hardy, Venom), ultimately doesn’t recognize. Kathy tells the club’s history to Danny Lyon (Mike Faist, Challengers), an outsider allowed access to the club to take photos. He’s hoping to publish a book of photographs, and the interviews will accompany the stills to flesh out the club’s story.
Danny also occasionally interviews the club members themselves, but it’s Kathy’s perspective that provides real insight into the club’s dynamics and social structure. Kathy first encounters the Vandals at a bar and is overwhelmed by their attention. That is until she sees the newest member, Benny (Austin Butler, Dune: Part 2), playing pool. He’s attractive, she’s attractive, and together they make a good-looking, cool cat couple.
Kathy’s not interested in bikes, but Benny’s devotion to the Vandals and its enigmatic leader means that she quickly becomes fully entrenched in the culture. Kathy’s answers to Danny’s questions come alive as flashbacks of significant moments in Vandals history. Benny and Johnny are the focus of most, but there’s a few interesting tidbits served up on other members. Michael Shannon is in full-on crazy mode as Zipco, a guy who believes anyone who goes to college is a pinko. Boyd Holbrook’s Cal is one of the less intense members of the gang, and Damon Herriman is Johnny’s trusted right-hand man, Brucie, a seemingly decent guy who’s more contemplative than action-oriented.
Less time is spent with Johnny’s loyal supporters, Wahoo (Beau Knapp), Cockroach (Emory Cohen), The Kid (Toby Wallace), and Corky (Karl Glusman), since The Bikeriders is primarily Benny and Kathy’s story. Filmmaker Nichols has described the film as a love triangle, with Kathy and Johnny vying for Benny’s attention. Why are Johnny and Kathy so attracted to Benny? He’s James Dean cool, loyal, and quick to throw a punch in defense of his friends. He’s a man of few words who lets his actions do the talking. And there’s just something indescribably appealing about him that pulls people into his orbit, even though he denies wanting or needing attachments.
Comer, who does a fantastic job of embracing a Chicago in the ‘60s accent, plays Kathy as a woman who knows her mind yet cedes control to Benny. She can’t let go of a bad thing, even while recognizing she’ll always share Benny’s heart with Johnny and the club. Comer listened to a tape of the real Kathy and loved that she said exactly what she felt. That, and Kathy’s exuberance, are incorporated into Comer’s take on the fictionalized version of Kathy.
Leader of the pack Johnny’s a married trucker who embraced the biker lifestyle after watching Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones. The Brando vibe is infused in Hardy’s performance, which isn’t anything new. Hardy’s approach to a character is often compared to Brando’s, but in The Bikeriders the similarities are overt and intentional. Johnny’s one of Hardy’s more interesting characters. There’s a captivating ambiguity to Johnny, and Hardy gives away nothing more than is necessary about Johnny’s personality.
Butler’s Benny doesn’t say much, which works since Comer’s Kathy fills the void. Butler and Comer have legitimate chemistry, and their scenes absolutely sizzle. The Bikeriders wouldn’t work if Butler and Comer didn’t generate that spark on screen.
The Bikeriders isn’t just a movie about 10 years in the lives of Vandals motorcycle club members. Set in the ‘60s, Nichols’ film transports us into the turbulent decade while addressing the search for self-identity and the desire not to succumb to society’s pressures. The guys in the club are all working-class, and the club is an outlet to rebel against the established social order.
More insight into the motivations of various club members would have been helpful, but as it is, The Bikeriders delivers a compelling tale of a bygone era while focusing on a group not normally in the spotlight. There were 60+ members of motorcycle clubs at the screening I attended, and by far, the biggest reaction came when the characters discussed not wanting to be forced to abide by society’s rules, followed by a discussion of club rules the members must adhere to. That dialogue struck a chord with the bikers, and it perfectly encapsulated Nichols’ film.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, brief sexuality, some drug use, and violence
Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
Release Date: June 21, 2024
Studio: Focus Features
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