If you bought into the idea that biker gangs were simply covers for vandals, thieves and drug dealers, you missed the whole bonding angle that comes out in âThe Bikeriders.â
Based on Danny Lyonsâ photographic account of a Midwestern gang, the film shows how the Vandals (odd, right?) became family for those who may not have had any.
They hang together repeatedly, protect each otherâs girlfriends and arenât far away when a rival gang comes calling.
Itâs an interesting take on a world that thrived on screen in the â60s and became a mainstay on television with âSons of Anarchy.â
Austin Butler in a scene from “The Bikeriders,” about a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club.
Here, though, thereâs a different side, largely because Jodie Comer plays such a compelling narrator. Sheâs Kathy, the motorcycle-gang-adjacent girlfriend whoâs more than willing to talk about its personnel, relationships and shortcomings. In interviews with the photographer, she opens up, and isnât afraid to call out the toughs in her way.
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Comer towers, even in quiet moments where sheâs sitting in the back of a room.
The photographer (played by Mike Faist) drinks it all in but doesnât necessarily provide framework for a story.
Thatâs where director Jeff Nichols might have needed more context â why is the photographer doing the book, what does he hope to accomplish and why did it take nearly a decade to complete? Details could have explained why he got such access.
Still, he has Comer and thatâs quite enough.
Quickly, weâre thrown into the bars and backroads where the Vandals rule. Theyâre threatened by rival groups but, thanks to the leadership of Johnny (Tom Hardy) and Benny (Austin Butler), arenât toppled.
At parties, Nichols humanizes them and brings their story to an understandable level. This isnât necessarily âSons,â but it is a hot take on bonding during an era where that didnât seem possible.
Because thereâs Lyonsâ book for reference, âThe Bikeridersâ is as close to a documentary as a fiction film gets. Hardy and Butler give it more than a little Brando/Fonda swagger and show just how comforting â and alarming â a motorcycle gang can be.
While Butler frequently smolders (this is in line with his âElvisâ take on the â60s), Hardy pulls out the acting guns.
His is a raw, fully formed performance that helps explain much.
Younger bikers split with their elders over the narcotic of choice and fail to provide respect to those in charge. The
