THE BIKERIDERS movie poster | ©2024 Focus Features

Rating: R
Stars: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman, Toby Wallace
Writer: Jeff Nichols, inspired by the nonfiction book THE BIKERIDERS by Danny Lyon
Director: Jeff Nichols
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: June 21, 2024

THE BIKERIDERS is a period film about speed freaks: not drug addicts, but those who demand the maximum miles per hour from their lives and their motorcycles.

In 1968, Danny Lyon brought forth THE BIKERIDERS, a compilation of interviews and black-and-white photographs of his time with the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

Directed and written by Jeff Nichols, the fictional THE BIKERIDERS is “inspired” by Lyon’s book. The movie spans 1965-1973 and chronicles the rise and mutation of the (likewise fictional) Chicago Vandals motorcycle gang.

THE BIKERIDERS takes the form of a series of interviews conducted by Danny (Mike Faist), who is accepted by the gang, though not really one of them. Danny talks to everybody, but his primary source is Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of young but loyal and respected Vandal Benny (Austin Butler).

Kathy’s story begins when a friend coaxes her to come out to a biker bar. Kathy is at first appalled by seeing all these shirtless men in leather vests, but when she gets a look at the handsome Benny, she relents a little. The Vandals pride themselves on building their own motorcycles, going as fast as possible, and standing up for each other.

For his part, Benny gives Kathy a ride home and proves to be a quietly persistent suitor. He’s certainly a lot more exciting (and better-looking) than her current man. Soon enough, they’re married, and Kathy is privy to the ups and downs of the Midwest biker community.

With its interview framework, THE BIKERIDERS is episodic. The episodes build on one another, though not all of them are necessarily dramatic. The result is that the film flows along so that we get a sense of both an average day in the life, and moments of major change.

Filmmaker Nichols is at least as if not more invested in how every shot looks than how it moves the narrative forward. The cinematography by Adam Stone is ravishing – virtually every frame could serve as a photo in an art book. We almost require the moments of stillness to take in the visual depth.

That said, THE BIKERIDERS doesn’t pack much surprise or even revelation. We’ve seen a lot of variations on this story before, and because none of the main characters are especially introspective, we don’t get much new perspective on them or their milieu.

Comer has authority and assurance as Kathy, and Butler is sincere while preserving the kind of mystique that we can see being attractive in different ways to Kathy and the other Vandals. Tom Hardy persuades us that he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, along with a lot of suppressed rage, as Vandals leader Johnny. Faist is consistently intriguing as Danny, though we barely learn anything about him.

Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman, and Toby Wallace fill out the supporting cast with colorful conviction.

THE BIKERIDERS is an optically beautiful look at bygone days. It’s reminiscent of plenty of other movies, but it’s worth seeing.

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