Film Review: "The Bikeriders" Directed by Jeff Nichols

You never know what will happen on the open road...

There is something about a motorcycle that can bring out the true colors of anybody. It does not matter if you were raised in a sheltered environment or if you are a natural-born rebel. The addictive thrill of speeding through a cross-country adventure can be what we all are searching for during this short life. This blog's hypothetical thesis about motorcycles encapsulates The Bikeriders.

Jeff Nichols' latest film The Bikeriders highlights the unquestionable brotherhood that motorcycle gangs uniquely form exclusively among themselves. The director behind Mud and Loving dives into Danny Lyon's photo book of the same name, eager to examine the unfiltered purpose of what it really means to be a rider of the open road. Instead of telling another story inspired by Southern Gothic literature, Nichols leaves his comfort zone and takes on Midwestern America. He plunges viewers into the down-and-dirty community of the Vandals Motorcycle Club with firsthand accounts of interviews about their rugged lifestyle, abrupt fights with rival gangs, and lust for a dangerous life that propels this counterculture forward during the 1960s and 1970s. Actor Mike Faist trades in his tennis racket from Challengers for a tape recorder and a microphone as he takes on the role of the curious Danny Lyon, who captures a vulnerable side of the motorcycle clubs in his interviews about their loyalty to each other through thick and thin.

The first barfight scene makes it crystal clear that you cannot knock down a mysterious, cool guy like Austin Butler's Benny. The 32-year-old actor carries a brooding quietness that makes you wonder what he will do next. His actions speak louder than Benny's few words. If he takes a punch, he strikes back at his opponent harder. Bruises, bloody knuckles, and broken bones do not scare him away from his commitment to his closest friends and his lover, Kathy. From becoming Elvis Presley to fighting Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders' leading man gives another solid performance he can proudly put on his resume. 

Jodie Comer plays Kathy with a more-than-convincing, thick Chicago accent. She loves Benny and wants to learn more about his origins and where he wants to go, even though she admits in her voiceover that she cannot always figure him out. The Killing Eve star does not shy away from her sudden realization about how uncompromising this increasingly violent world of turbulent outcasts has become. During interviews with Lyon, she maintains her composure through the sordid details while also projecting a cautious but still hopeful outlook that seeks a better tomorrow in the counterculture movement.

Another central figure in their lives and the film is Tom Hardy's Johnny. His bulldog-like aggression and assertive leadership in this notorious motorcycle gang come across as a molten combination of Paul Sorvino's Paul Cicero and Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas (which this movie frequently winks at as the narration unfolds—more on that later). Hardy appears comfortable playing an ordinary family man, who desires a dangerous thrill outside of a quiet, seemingly innocent suburban home. The Oscar-nominated English actor has a niche for playing hardened characters either because of their environment or circumstances, as seen in Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant. Johnny is the perfect role for this type of acting caliber that Hardy cultivated during the past decade.

These three characters are who Nichols wants us to invest in while they ride through small towns and worn-out roads. Their performances are, without a doubt, the main highlight of this drama. It feels good to watch a strong cast carry this story, even without additional help from an auteur. I wanted to love The Bikeriders, but I knew this motorcycle tale could have been so much better with a capable director. I feel that Nichols always comes super close to cracking open a profound revelation in his narratives, like in Take Shelter or Midnight Special, but he always misses the mark by a few inches.

Once Benny, Kathy, and Johnny become noticeably immersed in the Vandals Motorcycle Club, Nichols struggles as the director to keep up with their energy. The three actors work well together and understand the source material perhaps better than its director. He does back off and let them decide naturally how a biker club would handle conflicts with the law and neighborhood rivals, which works in Nichols' favor. During the daring motorcycle rides or open field free-for-all parties, you can tell that they are searching for something more than what is spelled out in the script. I noticed their eyes darting around the room, looking for that complete fulfillment—wanting to be free of societal norms and filling that void in their anxious, troubled souls with motorcycles.

As intriguing as it is to watch Butler, Comer, and Hardy juggle these challenges The Bikeriders throws at them, Nichols is way too dependent on the use of homages to other movies with similar themes such as The Wild One, Easy Rider, and especially Goodfellas. Case in point, a scene where a bar is burnt down parallels a scene in Goodfellas where a restaurant is burnt down. Although those situations have different contexts for the arson, I did not find this scene particularly necessary when all I could think about was another gangster movie. What I found rather prosaic about this scene is how too straightforward the setup is. The whole frame of a burning building just sits there idly without any additional focus on how our main characters pursue vengeance against their enemies. Once the incident ends, it does not allow me to engage more with the Vandals Motorcycle Club. There is nothing wrong with using homages as long as the director puts a fresh spin on the referenced filmmaking technique or a distinguished motif. But Nichols' choices water down the grim atmosphere he wants us to experience.

Nichols' strength more so lies in how he allows the rugged American landscape to unfold at a pace that adheres to this motorcycle club's search for a purpose. These directorial traits are what work and still do not work for The Bikeriders.

On the bright side, a motorcycle is always a good starting point for your script ideas. Is it still exhilarating to watch a squad of like-minded motorcyclists storm down the highway?

Of course!

Check out The Bikeriders (and books on motorcycles and related topics while you wait for your hold to come in) from one of the many members of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, including all Birmingham Public Library locations.

By William Anthony | Librarian Ⅰ, Citizen Services