THE BIKERIDERS – Review

This weekend sees the release of a brand new film from an acclaimed director with an all-star cast that’s a cinematic “call-back” to a genre that’s gone AWOL from the multiplexes and even the drive-ins (still enjoying a pandemic “bump) for the last few decades. And no, I’m not talking about the Western, which gallops back with Kevin Costner in the saddle next week. Well, there are a few comparisons, though these flicks began in the fifties and were an exploitation staple (a fave of the “passion pit”) into the swingin’ 70s. Going for more speed than the “oaters” were the “motorcycle gang” action epics, which have played a big role in the futuristic world of Mad Max and Furioisa. Now, this flick has those elements, but it’s more of a historical overview following some guys, and a few gals, who really thought of themselves as a “club” rather than a “gang” which accounts for their more genteel designation as THE BIKERIDERS.

It all begins quietly in mid-70s suburbia as photojournalist Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) catches up with a past “subject”. Kathy (Jodie Comer) tells him of a fateful night at a Chicago bar in the late 50s where she encountered the Vandals Motorcycle Club and became smitten with one of its senior members, the silent smoldering Benny (Austin Butler). When he offers her a lift on his cycle, he remains outside her apartment driving away her current beau. Of course, she had to marry him a couple of weeks later. Kathy then also becomes a part of CVMC and meets its leader/founder Johnny (Tom Hardy) who was inspired by watching THE WILD ONE on TV. His group is more of a family with several of his “surrogate sons”. There’s the lumbering, spacey Zipco (Michael Shannon), and their devious mechanic Cal (Boyd Holbrook) whose past membership with a West Coast club catches up to him when Funny Sonny (Norman Reedus) tracks him down, who then also “changes colors” Through the years the club clashes with rival crews and the local police while slowly expanding. But their growth isn’t fast enough for a much younger “upstart” called “the Kid” (Toby Wallace). Over the miles traveled and wild antics, Danny is recording it all on reel-to-reel tapes and snapping lots of pics. But the good times are threatened by the influx of drug-dealing (and using) returning vets, violent crime, and the Kid’s less “civil’ cohorts which may put an end to Johnny’s dream of leading his pals on an endless cruise down the highways and byways in pursuit of “new kicks”.

As two of the main leads a pair of lauded Brits do a splendid job of delivering accents from the upper Midwest. Comer mixes the Windy City vocal styling with a good chunk of Minnesota (thinking of Marge from the film FARGO) as the no-nonsense devoted biker spouse Kathy. She’s tender and fiercely protective of her Benny while not taking any “guff’ from him as he makes several questionable choices. Hardy’s Johnny is an affable everyman who often opts for the “hard way” in guiding the group and keeping his “alpha dog” rep, though Benny brings out his warm patriarchal instincts. Though he’s often staring intently and saying little, Butler as Benny is a compelling “hair trigger” nearly always settling “beefs” with his fists rather than his words. Shannon only has a few scenes to shine, but he makes the most of this character role giving Zipco a dense clueless sweetness. Ditto for Holbrook when Cal boasts and brags about his garage “magic” to rescue the banged-up bikes from the scrap heap. Faist is the fascinated outsider, drawn to danger even as his “models” are perplexed by his probing and constant documentation. Reedus seems to be having a blast as the “Cali-transplant” as he whips his tangled mane and flashes a set of truly gnarly “chopper” (teeth, not bikes). And hovering at the edge, Wallace simmers with anger and just oozes dread and doom.

Writer/director Jeff Nichols concocts a sprawling multi-decade saga from the real-life Danny Lyon’s same-titled book of photo-essays (many of those great silver images are seen in the end credits). He recreates the eras quite well, but we never really get into the heads of the principals to explore their need for this “fellowship” and their urge to act on any impulse. The near-constant parties (many are almost orgies) harken back to the Roger Corman (miss you, sir) seminal speed thriller WILD ANGELS more than the Brando classic. But Nichols really heightens the tension before the first punch, and doesn’t shy away from the resulting agony (Benny really pays a big price for his stubbornness). As the story progresses Nichols’ vision steers the story into the gangster genre (he’s said that GOODFELLAS was a big influence) with the anti-drug stance of the GODFATHER trilogy. But there’s a bit of a nod to ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.. with the darkness of the late 60s souring the “good vibes” of the early part of the decade. Soon the film bounces back and forth through the timeline making it merely a cool nostalgic stitching of various setpieces with this great cast “cosplaying” as the brawlers and “gear-heads”. It all finishes abruptly in the 1970s leaving us wondering just how some of the principals “settled down” and why they chose ths path. THE BIKERIDERS looks and sounds great, but the last stop isn’t worthy of the meandering trek, sputtering when it should soar through the years.

2 out of 4

THE BIKERIDERS is now playing in select theatres