CINEMA REVIEW: THE BIKERIDERS (2023)
Directed by Jeff Nichols
Screenplay by Jeff Nichols (Based on The Bikeriders by Danny Lyon)
Produced by Sarah Green, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Arnon Milchan
Main Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boydf Holbrook etc.
Cinematography by Adam Stone
*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
Set in the mid-sixties, the biopic The Bikeriders (2023), centres on a bike club (or what we could be considered a ‘Hell’s Angel’ gang of the era) called ‘The Vandals.’ Started by Tom Hardy’s, leader Johnny, as a motorbike racing club, it develops into a social place for men to meet and play and look cool and party and fight. More significantly, ‘The Vandals’ club allows the men to gain a sense of authority and identity within the shifting state of America during the 1960’s. The terrific ensemble cast includes Austin Butler as moody Benny, plus his sparky narrator wife, Jodie Comer, as Kathy. All are very good, yet there is something lacking thematically and in terms of plot.
Story-wise The Bikeriders (2023), is more like a verbal and pictorial diary with Comer’s affected Chicago accent gluing the various events together without reaching a height of dramatic satisfaction. Butler and Hardy are really cool and moody, echoing visitations of James Dean and Marlon Brando, respectively. But there needed to be more differentiation in their characters as TWO strong and silent types created a dramatic vacuum for me. Classic scene stealers such as Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook and Norman Reedus do add colour and charisma. I kind of wanted more of those guys because they had strong personalities, and actually spoke! Meanwhile, the props, costumes, production design and cinematography are all brilliantly rendered, clothing the film in an authentic and gritty sense of style.
Ultimately, the nostalgic, “anti-hero” driven period drama, so well delivered by Martin Scorsese over the years gets another solid run-out in The Bikeriders (2023) from the talented filmmaker, Jeff Nichols. Whereas Scorsese brings incendiary cinematic fireworks and complex tales of morality to your face, mind and heart, Nichols is a more under-stated director. He presents his stories and characters without too much push, with the audience having to lean in to catch the whispers of drama. That isn’t to say The Bikeriders (2023) doesn’t have action, racing, fighting, crashes, and blood, but the characters are lacking a powerful narrative engine to drive the strong performances forward. Plus, the themes of loss, war, and masculinity in crisis needed more gas. The film motors along just fine, but without ever getting into fifth, let alone sixth gear.
The Cinema Fix presents 