Review: The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders story may be pretty conventional, but the latest from director Jeff Nichols is elevated by an exceptional cast and a sense of authenticity to the era, which makes it well worth watching.
Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and Austin Butler are the central starring trio of The Bikeriders, with Comer playing Kathy Bauer. She’s drawn into the world of motorcycle clubs and culture when she falls for Benny (Butler), a member of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, founded by Johnny Davis (Hardy). Kathy and Johnny start to conflict over Benny and where his heart truly lies, while the Vandals grow exponentially and move in a darker, more criminal direction. Nothing in the plot will surprise or shock you, but it is well told and has a clever gimmick of using interviews with Kathy from later in life to tell the story and bring up new plot beats. The movie shines in its authentic look and feel, with the clothes, motorcycles, and cars all feeling of the ”60s/70s and all of the various members of the Vandals, including Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, all feeling right out that period. Everything also has a great lived-in feel, and all the various locales in the movie feel like actual places from the era. Nichols also makes a great choice with the movie’s soundtrack, not going with the tired needle drops of the decade, instead selecting songs that keep the ’60s/’70s feel but do not draw you out of the movie with its obviousness.
Everyone in The Bikeriders is excellent, but Comer, Butler, and Hardy are exceptional. Comer continues to be an unbelievable vocal chameleon, and she effortlessly slips into the accent and speaking style of someone from the mid-west, which lends the movie lots of fun with her folksy turns of phrase. Still, she has some great dramatic scenes. Hardy goes all in as usual, doing his typical accent work as well and delivering a great mix of warmth and menace as you see his love for the guys in his gang, but it can switch quickly to an icy coldness to anyone who threatens them or him. Butler brings the full Elvis smolder to Benny, and while he may be the weakest of the central trio, he’s still excellent. You get his obsession with motorcycles and that he will ride them even if it kills him. The supporting cast is also fantastic; almost everyone gets a scene or two to shine. Michael Shannon, in particular, a Jeff Nichols regular, has an incredible scene where he monologues about being one of the few people who wants to go to Vietnam, but he is rejected for his demeanor and appearance.
The Bikeriders is a great movie that takes a fairly standard plot and, because of the cast and directing, elevates it. The main cast is excellent, and the supporting cast is outstanding; the movie has an authentic and realistic style that adds grit and a genuine 60s/70s feel. Even if you’re not in motorcycles, The Bikeriders is still worth checking out.
