Though he’s only been making movies for less than two decades, Jeff Nichols has become one of my favorite contemporary filmmakers. I’ve seen four out of his six films (still need to see Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter) and loved every single one of them, including this one.
The plot is inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 photography book of the same name when the photographer immersed himself in motorcycle subculture in the mid-60s to early 70s. The Vandals is a fictionalized version of the Chicago Outlaws, led by the ever-cool Johnny (Tom Hardy) and hot-headed Benny (Austin Butler). Johnny was inspired by Marlon Brando’s The Wild One (1953), in which he plays the leader of a motorcycle gang also named Johnny. Initially, the Vandals represent a strong sense of camaraderie and defiance, as the film shows their members riding along dusty roads, working on their motorcycles, and embracing a nonconformist lifestyle.
Nichols employs a documentary-style structure for his crime drama, as Danny (Mike Faist) is seen mostly during his interviews with Kathy (Jodie Comer). In fact, the narrative is told from Kathy’s perspective, who’s pretty much on the outside looking in. Told in a nonlinear fashion, it opens with a bar brawl involving Benny and two guys who force him to remove his ‘colors’ that is his motorbike vest decorated with his club’s name. As the fight continues outside the bar, Nichols freezes the scene just before Benny gets hit by a shovel. We don’t get to see what happens to Benny until much later, and it leaves me shaking my head while watching the outcome of masculinity run amok.
The Bikeriders is a cautionary tale about how a seemingly innocent, rebellious lifestyle can take a dark, violent turn. But yet, there is something so mesmerizing about the club and its misanthropic bikers. Just like many women are drawn to bad boys like a moth to flames, the way Kathy falls for Benny the second she lays eyes on him is a memorable moment in the movie. After they get married five weeks later, she remains torn between being repulsed and fascinated by the group. The bikers’ actions often leave me scratching my head, but it’s impossible to look away.
The way I see it, there’s something to be said about desperately wanting a place to belong to, as many Vandals members, like the new kid (Toby Wallace), come from a broken home. The kid serves as a ‘villain’ of sorts, though there is really no antagonist here. Starting out as someone who worships the Vandals, a violent encounter with Johnny ends up becoming a catalyst for a brutal takeover. It’s quite tragic to see how Johnny gradually loses his grip on his own club. He can’t do anything about it as the biker club transforms into a violent biker gang. It seems inevitable as Benny refuses to take on Johnny’s mantle as its leader. ‘You can give something all you have, and it will still do what it wants to do,’ Johnny says to Kathy in a rare heart-to-heart conversation between the two.
I find the first half of the film more intriguing than the second, but the excellent cast keeps it engaging throughout. Hardy fits the role of Johnny perfectly, and it’s so great to see him on screen again, as the last time I saw him as the lead was in Venom 2 in 2021. It’s amusing to see the smoldering intensity of Hardy and Butler, who are channeling Marlon Brando and James Dean, respectively. It took me out of the movie a bit, as I felt as if I were watching them portray a pair of iconic Hollywood actors.
Nichols’ longtime collaborator and personal friend Michael Shannon is memorable as the Latvian-born Zipco, who gives a monologue about how he kept getting rejected from enlisting to fight the Vietnam War. The real star of the movie is not one of the boys, however, it’s Liverpool-born Comer as Kathy. It’s fun watching her transformative acting with her wide-eyed mannerisms and Chicago accent. Kathy is the heart of the movie and the charismatic Comer steals every scene she’s in, just as she did in The Last Duel, another period piece about toxic masculinity with a mostly male cast. I’m hoping she won’t be overlooked again this time around during award season.
What I do wish is that there is more depth to the characters. They all seem very surface-level, especially regarding Johnny and Benny. Johnny obviously loves Benny like his own brother and the admiration is mutual, but their relationship isn’t explored deeply. That said, I still think Nichols did some solid writing and directing work here that makes me empathize with the characters. Under a different director prone to exaggerated machismo, this movie could easily be much bloodier. Thankfully, that’s not the case here, though there are brutal scenes that make me wince.
As far as the visuals go, Nichols created a biker aesthetic that feels authentic. Shot on 35mm anamorphic film with that beautiful grainy look by DP Adam Stone, who’s shot on most of Nichols’ films, there’s a rugged, lived-in look that pays homage to a bygone era.
I’m glad I got to see The Bikeriders on the big screen before it left my local theaters. As someone who’s not familiar at all with biker culture, this film gives me a glimpse of that during a turbulent period in American history. It’s an interesting story well-told, not the most thrilling ride, but it’s still well worth the journey.
Have you seen The Bikeriders? I’d love to hear what you think!
///
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Another excellent review. I definitely am keeping “The Bikeriders” on my growing list of films to see this year. I don’t have any interest in the subject matter of bike riders in America. That being said, I do love the star-studded cast. I adore all of the actors particularly Jodie Comer. She is an underrated actress that has been giving excellent performances for many years but rarely gotten recognition for her work. For instance, I adore her role in “The Last Duel”. She played a similar role in that film as a feminist woman that sought freedom in a masculine world. I had mixed feelings about the film itself, but Comer’s performance was the best part about it. So, I will definitely be sure to watch her latest movie when I find the time. Besides, I think I will watch any film that stars Tom Hardy. He’s truly one of the best actors working today and has yet to make a bad movie based on what I have seen. So, I’ll definitely keep “The Bikeriders” on my list of movies to watch this year.
Here’s my thoughts on “The Last Duel”:
Hey I’m a huge fan of Tom Hardy as well, he’s always fun to watch on screen and it’s been 3 years since I saw him in Venom 2. It’s a silly movie but still worth a watch because of Hardy.
Jodie Comer is such a great actress. Yes I mentioned The Last Duel in my review as she is the one bright shining light in a male-dominated film. So yeah, this is definitely a must-see for the cast!
P.S. Great review of the Last Duel… and man, that rape scene was brutal, it felt gratuitous to me.
Thanks for the positive feedback. Will keep this film on my watchlist. Hardy and Comer are both amazing. You didn’t mention Austin Butler, who is also an incredible actor. He was phenomenal in “Dune: Part Two” in the supporting role. While he didn’t have much screen time, he chewed up the scenery. So, I will keep this movie in mind to see when I get the time. So many movies that I have to see this Summer and this is definitely one of them.
So many movies so little time, right? Well hope you can catch this once it arrives on streaming.
Butler is great, he’s very charismatic, love his interactions with Hardy here.
I do want to see this though it’s already gone from my multiplex. I hope it’s available on streaming soon.
Oh bummer that it’s gone from your theaters. I made sure I got to see it before it left my local cinema, and the place was packed as it was raining on 4th of July.
I saw a trailer of this one a while back, it’s not something I’d run out to see in theater but I’ll give it a watch when it hits streaming.
It’s interesting how Jeff Nichols was on the cusp of becoming a big time director after Take Shelter and MUD received so much praises back in 2010 and 2012. But he seems to prefer making these smaller scale and budget films. I would like to see him tackle a bigger scale blockbuster type of film someday.
I’m glad Nichols chooses to do smaller scale films. I’m sure he’d probably do a big-budget films one day as he’s likely been offered a few, and the studio would benefit from a talented guy like him.
My guess is that he likes to have control on his films. Once a filmmaker jumps into the world of blockbusters and make a film that costs $100mil or more, he or she must reports to so many people. Many careers were ruined because of that. I don’t think David Lynch never quite recover from his first and only big budgeted film, DUNE in 1984.
Yep exactly! I feel that Hollywood ruins Taika Waititi to some degree, and surely so many others who started in indie films. Yeah, David Lynch is a good example of what happened to Hollywood’s ‘art by committee’ mentality.
Pingback: The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 97 – The Minnesota Film Critics Alliance
This is most definitely Comer’s film (Thank God, she’s stronger than Butler, IMO)
Yeah, Comer is equally charismatic, if not more so, than Butler. I did wish she had more screen time with Hardy as those two have such magnetic screen presence.
Not that you made it sound like a bad movie, but I am surprised you gave it 3.5/5 reels.
I might watch this, especially because of Jodie Comer.
Toxic masculinity… well, the world could use less. Good term!
I was hoping to give it 4/5 stars but I knock off half a point for the lack of character development. Still it’s a good film by a very talented director. I love Jodie Comer more and more after seeing her in Killing Eve. And yes, we need less toxic masculinity in movies and real life!
Understood!
Character development is essential.
Women are not less than men.
Still, a huge portion of the planet thinks that. (including some women, go figure!)
Go figure, indeed!! As someone who’s raised by two women (my mom and maternal grandma), I always knew women are just as capable as men, if not more so!
Lol! I always knew that too.
I ran away when I was a teenager prove it.
(my mom had bought into the idea that all women needed a man, and was very unhappy)
Pingback: JULY viewing recap + Film/TV Mini Reviews + Movie(s) Of the Month – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG