3.5 Stars
A fascinating subculture is investigated by a photojournalist in a crime drama about a fictional midwestern motorcycle club.
“Knives or fists?”
This is the big question when there is a disagreement with management in The Bikeriders (2023), the crime drama starring Tom Hardy(Black Hawk Down), Jodie Comer(Killing Eve), and Austin Butler(Elvis).
The Bikeriders (2023)
Released: 21 Jun 2024
Rated: R
Runtime: 116 min
Director: Jeff Nichols
Genre: Crime, Drama
Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy
Writer(s): Jeff Nichols, Danny Lyon
Plot: After a chance encounter, headstrong Kathy is drawn to Benny, member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals. As the club transforms into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny must choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the...
Jodie Comer plays Kathy, a young woman in 1965 swept off her feet and married in 5 weeks to bad boy Benny(Austin Butler), a volatile member of the Vandals motorcycle club. Kathy is telling the story in The Bikeriders of her involvement with the Vandals to a documentarian in 1965 and 1973. Kathy begins as an outsider to this club subculture, and she is the anchor for the viewer as she tells the story of her experiences via flashback. We see Kathy’s husband Benny in jeopardy right from the beginning of the film and there is an element of suspense throughout as we wonder if Benny is still alive or has suffered the death by misadventure of so many of his friends.
Johnny(Tom Hardy) is the leader of the Vandals, inspired to form the club after seeing Marlon Brando on television in his role in The Wild One. Benny is basically Johnny’s right hand man; Benny is perfect to lead the Vandals whenever Johnny gives up the role for the very reason that Benny does not want the position and does not give a you-know-what. (If you really do not know the meaning of “you-know-what”, please PM me and I will send you the popular emoji that shows its meaning!)
The Bikeriders is written and directed by Jeff Nichols(Take Shelter, Mud). The fictional screen story of The Bikeriders is inspired by the book The Bikeriders by photojournalist Ben Lyon. Lyon actually followed the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the midwest in the mid 1960s, and even was a member of the club for a time. Hunter S. Thompson actually warned Lyon that he was living dangerously and should reconsider his activities. Lyon(Mike Faist) is actually a character in the film as the documentarian interviewing Kathy at various times over the years.
Nichols and his crew made some nice effort in wardrobe and set dressing for period detail in The Bikeriders, and it pays off in this film produced on location in Ohio. The actors, particularly Comer and Hardy, reproduce the regional dialect of Gary, Indiana, and surrounding parts with a certain praiseworthy accuracy. Butler is also good as bad boy Benny as he emotes more with expressions and mannerisms than words in his performance. Nichols’ stock player Michael Shannon(Revolutionary Road) also has a nice role as a member of the club, and Norman Reedus(The Boondock Saints) has a fun role as a visiting member of a club from California. (It should be illegal to cast a film about motorcycles in 2023 without Reedus. At least you know that Reedus is not one of the cast members who had to learn how to ride in preparation for his role!) The Bikeriders is an engaging and agreeable film that does not overly glamorize the darker aspects of this subculture.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The Bikeriders appears on 4K disc in its original 2.39:1 screen aspect ratio. Hues and tones are varied, and fine detail is terrific. Shadow detail is likewise excellent in this film in which much of the story occurs at night. The video presentation seems flawless.
Audio: 4.5/5
English audio on The Bikeriders defaults to a rich Dolby Atmos audio track. Ambient sounds are immersive with some nice directional audio, particularly with the reverb of the mechanical hogs that are characters inhabiting the film nearly as much as the actors. Dialogue is always audible, and the film makes nice use of some era-appropriate pop music to enhance the illusion of being back in time.
Special Features: 3/5
Special features on the 4K UHD disc include the following:
Johnny, Benny, and Kathy(4:56): The actors and producers of The Bikeriders are highlighted in this brief featurette behind the scenes.
The Era of The Bikeriders(3:22): Recreating the midwest of the 1960s and 1970s is the focus of this featurette.
The Filmmaker’s Eye: Jeff Nichols(2:57): Writer and director Jeff Nichols provides some comments regarding his artistic vision for The Bikeriders.
Feature Commentary: Writer and director Jeff Nichols provides more insights about production of The Bikeriders in this informative feature length commentary.
Also included in the package is a second disc with the feature and special features on Blu-ray disc, as well as a paper insert with validation code for digital copy via the MoviesAnywhere app. The review copy also included a handsome slipcover housing the amaray packaging.
Overall: 3.5/5
The Bikeriders is an amiable picaresque adventure with a few twists and turns(see what I did there? Just like a front wheel…) that entertains and makes you wonder always what will happen next, and the cast delivers worthy performances in which they virtually inhabit their roles. The video and audio presentation are first-rate. Special features are minimal but include an informative director’s commentary. You will know by the end if this is one of those films that you want to revisit, or whether it filled the time well for your only viewing of The Bikeriders.
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Nice review, Timothy. I think we saw a lot of the same stuff in the film. I liked it, though I admit there was not much to it. Mostly, for me the photography and the actors made it work. I thought Hardy did the most impressive job taking a character that was basically just a sketch and making him interesting to watch. To me the cast delivers in this, they just don't have a lot to work from. It is kind of like, dress them up and let them go, which works as long as you are not expecting some great plot and story. I enjoy hangout films, which is what I feel this is. You just are a fly on the wall with these characters.
Nice review, Timothy. I think we saw a lot of the same stuff in the film. I liked it, though I admit there was not much to it. Mostly, for me the photography and the actors made it work. I thought Hardy did the most impressive job taking a character that was basically just a sketch and making him interesting to watch. To me the cast delivers in this, they just don't have a lot to work from. It is kind of like, dress them up and let them go, which works as long as you are not expecting some great plot and story. I enjoy hangout films, which is what I feel this is. You just are a fly on the wall with these characters.
I agree with many of your comments in this thread and the other one regarding The Bikeriders. It is an interesting window into a period of time and a lifestyle that might be as alien to many audience members as though it took place on another planet. If you are familiar with this terrain, it might resonate for you as though you are looking through an old scrapbook.
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