TMS Movie Review: The Bikeriders

(Kyle Kaplan / Focus Features)

With the official release of Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, I’m reminded of recently deceased, legendary B-movie pioneer Roger Corman, specifically his cult classic The Wild Angels (1966). Nichols—here writing and directing his first film since Midnight Special and Loving in 2016—feels very much like he’s mixing the production values of Corman with the type of dialogue and characters we would see from former Corman protégé Martin Scorsese. A lot of viewers are already making comparisons to Scorsese’s classic GoodFellas (1990) structure wise, which is not a detriment to its quality. Nichols is a fine filmmaker himself and knows what he’s doing, and the impressive talent he’s recruited for his cast definitely know what they’re doing as well.

Inspired by a 1968 historical photobook with the same title by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders follows a fictionalized Lyon played by Mike Faist as he mingles, interviews and photographs a rising biker club, The Vandals, in Chicago, IL from 1965 to 1973. Because most of the bikers themselves are reluctant to be recorded on tape, the one person most willing to participate in Danny’s project is Kathy (Jodie Comer), wife of the coolest Vandal in the group, Benny (Austin Butler). Through Kathy’s perspective, we see how The Vandals go from being a fun social club to dangerously close to a legitimate gang as the membership gets wider and crazier.

(Kyle Kaplan / Focus Features)

Tom Hardy plays the founder and head of The Vandals, Johnny, while Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Emory Cohen and Michael Shannon co-star as some of the devoted bikers. Adam Stone’s effective cinematography and an appropriate soundtrack that’s heavy on classic pop and rock work out smoothly in The Bikeriders. Some moviegoers have been commenting on the film’s lack of plot, with Nichols choosing to primarily focus on the characters in a ‘fly on the wall’ type way much like how I imagine the real Lyon felt he was while documenting on the sidelines. I personally didn’t mind the story being a bit slim, even though some parts do meander a bit. The retro atmosphere and interesting crew of people kept my attention for The Bikeriders along with the catchy tunes. Nichols also does a good job of presenting all the guys as more fanboys of motorcycles and leather jackets who get in over their heads rather than legitimately troublemakers. Hardy’s habit of hamming it up with his movie accents is fortunately reined back here and he gives one of his more intriguing performances for the first time in years. Both Butler and Comer confirm that their teen actor days are far behind and can hold their own as leads opposite vets like Hardy and Shannon.

The Bikeriders might primarily fit certain demographics, but it’s still a solid choice for adult movie fans and the return of one of the best working directors in film.