Movie Review: The Bikeriders

The latest film from writer/director Jeff Nichols, the superlative narrative adaptation of a book of photos by photographer Danny Lyon titled The Bikeriders, proves to be one of the modern equivalent of iconic films such as The Wild One (1953) or Easy Rider (1969).

The film is told from the point of view of Kathy (Jodie Comer) via an ongoing interview conducted by a photo-journalist named Danny (Mike Faist) – upon whose book the film is based. Kathy’s story begins with her meeting Benny (Austin Butler) when he, and the rest of his motorcycle “club,” stop by her local bar for a drink. Immediately taken with Danny, Kathy joins him, and the club – known as the Vandals – on their quest for independence and freedom. The leader of the Vandals, Johnny (Tom Hardy), looks upon Danny as his successor. But, as the club evolves around them – much like the culture of the times – it appears that Danny may prefer a life with Kathy instead of one within the dangerous underworld of violence and crime the Vandals seem on the verge of adopting.

Director Jeff Nichols – working from his own script – achieves the same dramatic heft he did in pieces like Mud (2012) and Take Shelter (2011), while also drawing singularly impressive performances from his leading actors. Nichols’ work here brings to the forefront the change that was occurring during the time period the film is set in while simultaneously not subscribing to a definitive point of view for the audience. Instead, several interpretations of the events are presented from various points of view allow the viewer to come to his or her own conclusions – much like a modern-day version of Rashomon (1950). There is a layered depth to Nichols’ screenplay that sneaks its way into the fabric of the story without making it evident that it is doing so.

As Kathy, Comer is the driving narrative force of the film – everything is told from her point of view after all and Comer delivers a remarkable performance making the character simultaneously charismatic, sympathetic, and tragic. But hers is a perspective of love and devotion to a man that she sees as flawed but ultimately redeemable. Similarly, Butler’s work as Benny showcases the ability he displayed as the King of Rock and Roll in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (2022). The always impressive Tom Hardy gives a depth of character to Johnny, the leader of the Vandals that may have been absent in another actor’s hands. His decision to become a biker and hit the road after seeing Marlon Brando on television in The Wild One is shown with a beauty and grace that most existential crisis moments are not afforded in most films.

Additional players – mostly members of the club, like Zipco (Michael Shannon) and Brucie (Damon Herriman) – are afforded ample character development, allowing the film to garner a depth of character reserved for more illustrious ensemble pieces. Even Norman Reedus, as a supplanted West-Coast biker named Funny Sonny sent to “correct” Johnny’s errant behavior, turns into a multi-layered character whose motivation is as interesting as his story.

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer in “The Bikeriders.” Photo by Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features/Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features – © 2024 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Aesthetically, the film harkens back to the biker films of the late 1950s and Adam Stone’s cinematography captures that effortlessly, while also connecting it to the tumultuous culture of the late Sixties as the idealized life as a biker that Johnny envisioned while watching The Wild One begins to constrict and crush the world around him and the other Vandals.

While history will ultimately determine whether The Bikeriders will hold a place amongst the giants of the genre – such as the aforementioned The Wild One or the counter-culture equivalent Easy Rider – the artistry and beauty with which the story here is woven and then spun, makes The Bikeriders a singular piece of cinematic excellence.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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