The Bikeriders is not Jeff Nichols’ strongest work to date, but there’s a lot to gawk at without thinking too much about the film’s intentions. It’s the strongest form of cosplay you’ll see, and in that sense, it’s worth spending some time inside the world. The ensemble cast and visceral filmmaking does enough to push it past the finish line.
Your mileage may vary on how far The Bikeriders goes to match the pastiche of the era its trying to resemble. The greasy hotheads of the Chicago-based Vandals Motorcycle Club are depicted in exceptional detail – to a point when juxtaposed with the lack of messaging in the movie, it’s easy to wonder where the substance went in place of style. Maybe don’t look under the hood with this one, because director Jeff Nichols is less interested in conveying a movie with real thematic density than he is having one hell of a good time.
And for what its worth, The Bikeriders is a good time for the majority of the film’s 116 minutes, cut together to depict the rise and fall of the Vandals club, as well as Johnny (Tom Hardy), their hardnosed frantically trying to keep the club from falling apart at the seams. It’s easier to do so with Benny (Austin Butler), whose short temper and brawl-first mentality scares the other members into submission, and keeps the Vandals’ enemies at arms-length. He’s the buffer between the insiders and outsiders, even if his quieter demeanor throws you off the scent.
The rest of the cast is a who’s who of decked-out actors riding bikes, drinking beer, and getting into fights, as well as the wives that keep their husbands in check before the real damage happens. Nobody better explains the latter than Benny’s wife Kathy (Jodie Comer), who narrates much of the story after the fact to the author documenting the crew, Danny (Mike Faist).
It’s an intoxicating film for the first hour with Jeff Nichols expertly cutting between the aspects of Vandal life that make it such a draw for those involved. Set and sound design are fused together effortlessly to recreate the late-1960s. The club’s rise to power is quick and drastic, spearheaded by Johnny’s no-nonsense policy and hesitance to let others inside the circle.
Which is why the second half falls quickly as his ability to reign in the wildest members of the Vandals begins to diminish. Benny suffers an injury that sidelines him from riding, and Johnny can’t operate by himself. This fall from power is less enthralling as a viewing experience compared to the rise. The pacing slows down and tries to pick up the pieces left by a lot of pastiche and window dressing, but with little characterization beyond being the “bad boys” of the era.
Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are the biggest draws. Butler is much too quiet to leave an impression verbally so his screen presence is left to the dangerous brawls he starts and disregard for authority and reliance on others. Hardy gives a more cartoonish performance, pairing possibly his strangest accent work with a set of morals that, at the very least, makes him an interesting lead character.
It’s not Jeff Nichols’ strongest work to date, but there’s a lot to gawk at without thinking too much about the film’s intentions. It’s the strongest form of cosplay you’ll see, and in that sense, it’s worth spending some time inside the world of The Bikeriders. The ensemble cast and visceral filmmaking does enough to push it past the finish line.
Rating: 3/5
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