The Bikeriders: A Ride Worth Taking, But Not Quite Blowing Me Away
As I sat watching The Bikeriders, I couldn’t help but think back to my own experience with the Hells Angels in Yosemite’s High Country on a breezy Saturday afternoon. I was probably 13, on my family’s Honda 90, sent to get fish bait at the nearby Tioga Lake’s General Store. The infamous motorcycle club and I just happened to share State Route 120 for about a mile or two. I should have been terrified, but I was too young and naive to realize what was happening.
Memories of a chance encounter
Those memories came flooding back as I watched The Bikeriders, based on a photo book by Danny Lyon. The film features the 1960s rise of the Outlaws MC, whose name was changed to the Vandals MC in the movie so nobody would become road meat — I guess.
“That’s real power.”
The story is more about the macho camaraderie of a club of loyal bikers, told through the expressive eyes and voice of the wife of Benny (Austin Butler). Her name was Kathy (a real person) played by the brilliant English actress Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Free Guy). What makes her performance so mesmerizing is her down-home, Midwestern accent that never wavers and brings some light directness into a dark, tough guy movie. She’s easily the best thing about this film.
Jodie Comer shines as Kathy
We’ve certainly come to expect that tough guy character from Tom Hardy, who plays the Vandals’ smoldering, commanding leader Johnny. And nobody does smooth coolness better than too-pretty-for-his-own-good Austin Butler, who plays Johnny’s brooding right-hand man.
The movie is mainly about how this motorcycle club changed over a decade. It goes from happy-go-lucky racing buddies on the weekends to troublesome outcasts putting fear into the hearts of small-town citizens and law enforcement.
A decade of change
There’s a telling scene where Johnny orders a bar be burned to the ground for supporting the beating of one of his club’s members. The bikers are standing around watching the flames, as the camera pans to groups of awaiting firemen and police, too afraid to approach.
Unfortunately, it will soon go to their heads.
The other thing you’ll notice is there are a lot of supporting characters played by well-known leading actors. I know Michael Shannon is writer/director Jeff Nichols’ good luck charm. He’s now been in six Nichols’ films.
Michael Shannon’s sixth collaboration with Jeff Nichols
But we also have Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus popping in as Funny Sonny, Boyd Holbrook as Cal, and Toby Wallace simply as The Kid.
Bottom line, I respect the craftsmanship of The Bikeriders — the terrific acting, directing, writing, and cinematography — but the movie as a whole just didn’t blow me away.
A solid, but not spectacular, film
I guess sometimes “terrific” can just be “really good.”
