Mikes Film Talk

The 2022 shelf bound The Bikeriders, a coffee table book turned into a film, is all about 1960’s bikers. And “Them new guys:” Vietnam vets who, allegedly, change the face of bike gangs forever.

The Story

Johnny starts his own Bike riders club. The Vandals, as it becomes known, is inspired by the old “rebel” film; The Wild One. A 1953 film that the bike club leader sees on television. He is struck by the film’s best line:

Hey Johnny! What are you rebelling against?

Whaddya (sic) got?

*Only one other “biker film;” The Wild Angels ever got as close to such an iconic line as this. A dying gang member; Loser Kerns (Played by Bruce Dern) croaks out:

“Anybody got a straight cigarette?”

Johnny puts together his own group of rebels. They fight, love and drink. Then those “new guys” an increasing group of Vietnam veterans, join the growing gang.

It is the beginning of the end for the colourful group.

The Main Cast: The Bikeriders

Austin Butler is Benny.

Jodie Comer is Kathy, wife of Benny.

Tom Hardy is Johnny, the slightly long in the tooth leader of the Vandals.

Michael Shannon is the mercurial Zipco.

Toby Wallace is The Kid. A scarily focused character who wants power.

Norman Reedus is Funny Sonny.

Karl Glusman is Corky.

Damon Herriman is Brucie.

Behind the Scenes

Director and co-writer Jeff Nichols, who worked on the The Bikeriders script with Danny Lyon, took inspiration from a “coffee table book about a real biker “gang.” *Coffee table books were generally “eye candy” for guests in your home. Photographic in nature: Think Madonna’s 11 offerings in this unique and dying “genre.”

Photographer/Editor/writer Danny Lyon published the photo book of The Bikeriders in 1967. A group of motorcycle enthusiasts who started the gang, The Vandals.

A Beleaguered Film

Nichols, a bona fide Arkansan, had tossed the idea of a motorcycle film for so long that Michael Shannon, a frequent collaborator of Nichols, became cynical. “You’re never going to make this movie (sic),” Shannon told the director.

Nichols does make the film, eventually.

Covid and the actor/writer strikes ground the publicity machine to a halt. The Bikeriders was finished in 2022 but did not see the light of day until 2023. 20th Century Studios dropped distribution rights and the movie itself was passed from “pillar to post” before its release.

A few Complaints

Jodie Comer and her accent. Do not get me wrong. I adore Comer as a performer. She is, in my mind, the master of accents. Until now. Kathy opens her mouth and I am immediately in Fargo country. It took me right out of the “moment.” I did get used to it, but as The Bikeriders is set in Chicago it jarred.

Tom Hardy is a tad too, how to phrase this delicately? Autumnal? He is still playing those physically imposing roles. The tough guy in charge. He is getting on a bit to keep this up for too much longer. He does, however, pull this one off admirably.

The Story Itself

The tale of The Bikeriders saunters. It is still interesting as a slice of imagined Americana though. Nichols does very well, working with Lyon clearly helped, with a film adaptation of a photograph book. Not quite a “storyboard” in and of itself and even having recorded interviews doesn’t really help to overcome this hurdle.

Does the movie drag in places? Yes. Is it boring? Sometimes.

But

The Bikeriders still entertains. It takes a somewhat nostalgic view of the 1960’s that, perhaps, never really was. The film is, perhaps, a hollywoodization of reality. Where, the gangs were pretty much harmless till, “Them new guys came along.”

Despite this simplification, the film works.

The Verdict

The Bikeriders earns a solid 3.5 stars on the power of its acting alone. Actors like Comer, dodgy accent aside, Hardy, Shannon, and Butler; et al, make the ride worth it. Add on another .5 of a star for costumes, sets and locations, and this one is a “good one.” An entertaining 4 out of 5 stars. It is streaming on Prime right now.

The Trailer