by Anthony O'Connor

Year:  2023

Director:  Jeff Nichols

Rated:  M

Release:  4 July 2024

Distributor: Universal

Running time: 116 minutes

Worth: $13.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth

Cast:
Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, Beau Knapp, Toby Wallace

Intro:
Plenty of evocative imagery and fabulous acting, but the overall experience is just a bit flat and listless.

The allure of being in a bikie gang is a strange one. Strap yourself to a two-wheeled accident-waiting-to-happen, hoon around the place at high speed, get hassled by cops and hang out – mainly – with a cadre of like-minded hairy, sweaty dudes. Still, there are plenty of folks out there who love that very unique lifestyle and many of them are explored in The Bikeriders, the latest film from director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Loving, Take Shelter), based on the photo-book by Danny Lyon.

The Bikeriders is the rather loose and scattered story of a bunch of men who love that motorcycle life set during the years of 1965-1973. Told through the framing device of ongoing interviews with Kathy (Jodie Comer), the woman who becomes the wife of smouldering biker Benny (Austin Butler), we’re introduced to the world from an outsider’s perspective. We meet the various members of the crew like Benny, leader Johnny (Tom Hardy), Zipco (Michael Shannon), Cal (Boyd Holbrook) and Brucie (Damon Herriman).

The film plays out as a series of vaguely linked vignettes, as the gang goes from a club of enthusiasts to something far darker and more violent, but the stakes always feel remarkably low. This is a story where not a lot happens for long stretches, and instead, we’re hanging out with an absurdly stacked cast doing great work. Austin Butler continues to prove that he’s anything but a one trick pony and Tom Hardy once again finds an excuse to bung on a silly accent and yet is somehow captivating to watch. Jodie Comer is the heart of the film, however, and her performance is so convincing that she almost makes you forget how slipshod the script is at times.

If the aim of The Bikeriders was to make being a bikie seem appealing, it fails. The lifestyle is painted as a dangerous hobby and a bit dull for everyone else around it. Sure, some of the characters are charming, but spending all day, every day with them sounds like a nightmare. Hell, even spending 116 minutes with them starts to get old, despite even the smaller roles offering star turns from actors like Toby Wallace and Norman Reedus.

Ultimately, The Bikeriders feels like exactly what it is, an adaptation of a photo-book. Plenty of evocative imagery and fabulous acting, but the overall experience is just a bit flat and listless. Bikies, or those who aspire to be, might get more out of the experience, but for everyone else this is a very pretty chassis without much going on under the hood.

6.5Good
Score
6.5
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