The Bikeriders (2024), directed by Jeff Nichols, stars Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman, and Toby Wallace. The film follows Kathy (Comer), a midwestern woman who is drawn into the world of motorcycle clubs when she begins dating a biker named Benny (Butler). She soon finds an unconventional family in the shaggy group of bikers, among them including their clever leader, Johnny (Hardy). As the club begins to grow, their exploits slowly become more dangerous. This leads Kathy to seek an exit for her and Johnny before they inevitably meet a violent end.

Comer’s character is the big focus here and her performance mostly works. My only criticism is that her midwestern accent initially feels over-the-top to the point of satire. It throws the viewer off but the feeling quickly disappears. I was mostly just impressed that the performance promptly won me over after such a terrible first impression. Tom Hardy gives a decent performance, but he doesn’t do quite enough to break free from his usual archetype. He mumbles and stutters to the point where certain audience members will (and did) chuckle at the fact that Tom Hardy is just being his typical self. As for Butler, he proves once again to be an almost hypnotic lead performer. Unfortunately, the script often lets down the character of Benny. The film is designed in such a way that we never see any events from his perspective. This helps to almost mythicize the character, but it sacrifices almost any understanding of his motivations. It’s only in the film’s final moments do we better understand this character emotionally, but by then it feels like it’s too little too late. Where the film’s cast shines is in the various side characters/members of the motorcycle club. Notable/recognizable actors are intelligently cast, resulting in their characters remaining memorable despite their lack of development. There’s even a meta element to the casting. For example, Norman Reedus whose career was built off his motorcycle-loving character in The Walking Dead (2010-2022) plays a wonderfully quintessential biker character. Reedus is known for being a motorcycle lover in real life as well, so it just seems important and even historical to include him. Even Michael Shannon stakes his claim with limited screen time and provides the film’s most effective acting in a scene that was unexpectedly heart-shattering.

Although the film is entertaining due to a strong cast and generally energetic tone similar to Goodfellas (1990), it struggles with finding a lot of originality in its premise/style. Besides a somewhat deeper look into the origins of biker culture, the film just doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from most films in the crime/mob genre. This feels similar to Lawless (2012) (another period-piece crime film starring Tom Hardy) in the sense that it’s a wholly satisfying film if the viewer is partial to the genre, but won’t win anyone over who is on the fence. Thankfully director Jeff Nichols’ direction elevates this beyond a film like Lawless through his use of wonderfully framed shots and an almost mythic tone. He strikes the right balance of displaying these characters as the stereotypes they’re known for but also as the misunderstood outcasts who are driven to find the few others they can connect with. This is even supported by how the film ends for each character, striking a balance in their arcs which support both the danger and beauty/camaraderie of motorcycle gangs/culture. I can see this film becoming a true cult classic for motorcycle enthusiasts in the sense that it seems to understand some of the deeper emotional motivations behind the culture.

The film feels fully formed, nothing seemed like it was missing or needed to be cut. That being said, it inexplicably drags a bit in the early portion of the second half. This is partly due to the previously mentioned unoriginal story/plot. Once the film’s structure becomes apparent, it loses a slight bit of interest before picking up again during the climax. This shows itself as one of the film’s few, but damning issues.

Overall, this is a flawed motorcycle/gang epic that is saved by its’ memorable cast and sure direction by Jeff Nichols. For real-life motorcycle lovers, I’d highly recommend the film. For fans of the crime/mob genre, I’d give it the same recommendation. For everyone else, you won’t feel like you wasted your time but might forget the film by the next day. It’s nothing special or particularly exciting, but it’s quality work that’s much easier to appreciate than criticize. B