The wait for writer/director Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders has been longer than expected. Originally slated for release late last year following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, the film experienced a surprise shake when it shifted studios, and Focus Features moved the release into a release date worthy of a summer blockbuster. While audiences should temper their expectations on several fronts, including the role of rising star Austin Butler, this free-floating epic of camaraderie and found family is still worth your time.
Release Date: June 21, 2024
Directed By: Jeff Nichols
Written By: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist with Norman Reedus
Rating: R, for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality.
Runtime: 116 minutes
Taking inspiration from journalist Danny Lyon’s photo book of the same name from 1968, The Bikeriders has the DNA of older flicks like Rebel Without A Cause and The Wild Ones coursing through its veins. We see the Vandals Motorcycle Club go from its formation under leader Johnny (Tom Hardy) to a formidable force roaming the streets as a romance develops between young lovers Kathy (Jodie Comer) and Benny (Austin Butler).
As those two stories play out parallel to each other, the times they start a’changin, and The Bikeriders shows how the Vandals handle those shifts. All the while, we as the audience are waiting for a shoe to inevitably drop, as the film is framed as a series of interviews between Kathy and Danny Lyon (portrayed by Mike Faist).
The Bikeriders aims to exist in a crossroads between Easy Rider and Goodfellas, and for the most part, it gets there.
The Bikeriders' story spans the 1960s – a tumultuous time in American history. You won’t see much about Vietnam or other sociopolitical events in this story, though, as Jeff Nichols’ script firmly plants itself in the world of the Vandals.
The sprawling bike club-centric narrative at this picture’s heart plays as a crossroads between a Scorsese-esque crime story and a counterculture historical drama. Think of it as a mashup between Easy Rider and Goodfellas, with the former film ultimately winning out in the tug of war between these dueling influences. It’s a formula that pushes the finished product to embrace more of a feeling than an actual plot.
In that respect, The Bikeriders’ greatest asset is also the cause of its downfall. While the vibes may be strong throughout, the plot that’s presented feels a bit too slack. That’s an understandable obstacle, as characters like Austin Butler’s Benny are based on vague images from Danny Lyon’s text that lack details pertaining to the actual man. It's a hurdle that plenty of films have cleared in the past. Acknowledging that The Bikeriders fails to do so isn't a total slam against the film – but it is the major disappointment in reflecting on the movie as a whole.
Don’t let the marketing fool you: this is really Jodie Comer’s movie.
In the run up to the release of The Bikeriders, Austin Butler has had an understandable front-and-center presence. Even if the actor wasn’t one of the hottest stars at the moment, Benny is the character in the film anyone would naturally gravitate toward following in surface-level consideration of the movie. All that being said, it isn’t a Butler-centric movie, nor is it a sneaky Tom Hardy-led picture either.
If anything, The Bikeriders is Jodie Comer’s movie. The movie uses Kathy’s interviews to thread everything together, and she is our conduit into this bygone era where the Vandals operated akin to an organized crime outfit. As she falls hard for Benny and the stakes start to get increasingly dangerous, their romance ends up being the key dramatic weight in the work.
Which leads to one of the greatest strengths that The Bikeriders doesn’t take enough advantage of: its stellar cast. Mixing up-and-coming stars like Jodie Comer and Austin Butler in along with talent like Jeff Nichols veteran Michael Shannon and true bike enthusiast Norman Reedus, there’s a murderer’s row of talent on hand. But due to the scattered construction of the story, we don’t spend nearly enough time digging into the presence of the unique individuals in the Vandals MC’s orbit. Also, I’m sorry to break it to you Challengers fans, but that same complaint goes for Mike Faist as well.
Though the focus of The Bikeriders’ tale isn’t favorable to many of its stand out cast members, everyone does get their time to shine at one point or another. And that’s enough to tease the audience into wanting a deeper, more connected story that really leans into those Goodfellas vibes.
If you appreciate capturing a general feeling over telling a story, then The Bikeriders is a movie for you.
When I mention Goodfellas, I’m not throwing out that particular Martin Scorsese picture lightly. There’s a particularly affecting sequence towards the end of the movie that really brings home a captured wistful energy. At its heart, The Bikeriders is a lament for a moment in time that doesn’t exist anymore. By commemorating the good times and the bad, the film successfully leaves us with a sense of longing for the past that Nichols and his cast are trying to drive home. It’s not as powerful of a feeling as it could have been if conveyed via a tauter narrative, but at the same time, between the performances and the beautiful filmmaking, you won’t walk away totally unaffected by Benny and Kathy’s tale of highs and lows.
Some audiences are going to love The Bikeriders, as the feeling it evokes is stronger than its story. While there may not be a consensus on the effect of how well this movie uses those vibes, the common ground that we should all be able to enjoy is the fact that an adult drama of this more experimental nature is still being made.
