The Bikeriders Review: Jeff Nichols Goes Full Scorsese
Tom Hardy dominates this ensemble motorcycle film that has serious highs and lows
When I saw 2011’s Take Shelter, it blew me away. The film that brought director Jeff Nichols to prominence was deliberately ambiguous, beautifully acted and downright haunting. Since then, Nichols’ films have gotten more elaborate (with more A-list talent) and to quote 10 Things I Hate About You I’ve never felt more than “whelmed” by them.
His latest film, the long-gestating The Bikeriders, sees Nichols create a percussive, intriguing exploration of motorcycle culture that lifts heavily from the work of Martin Scorsese. But for every moment that feels like you’re watching a scraggly, motorcycle-riding take on Goodfellas there are just as many that make you wonder if the movie received some editing in the transition from original studio Disney to Focus Features, and an acting performance that is built to divide audiences.
Based on Danny Lyon’s book of photos from the 1960s, The Bikeriders tells the story of a Chicago motorcycle club known as the Vandals. Led by the quiet yet brutal Johnny (Tom Hardy), the club is a community for a band of close-knit misfits. As narrated by the wide-eyed Kathy (Jodie Comer), we learn about the rise and fall of the group and Kathy’s relationship with the enigmatic Benny (Austin Butler).
The first 40-50 minutes of Nichols’ film is a thrilling introduction the world of 1960s motorcycle culture. The comparisons to Goodfellas, at this juncture, are apropos as we’re introduced to Comer’s Kathy as she has a moment akin to the record-scratching “I bet you’re wondering how I came to be here” moment found in most Scorsese films. In this case, Cathy ends up at a biker bar to help a friend, only to catch the eye of every man in the building — though there’s an emphasis on the fact that they’re more cat-callers and not frightening — as well as that of Benny.
Kathy is the character through which we see events progress and it’s a bit jarring, and I don’t mean because of Comer’s Chicago accent. Too often, particularly as the film progresses into a time jump into the 1970s, we’re led to believe Kathy knows everything that has happened in the group, like she’s practically a member. There’s no indication that, this being her POV, that she might be biased or there’s some ambiguity there. Considering she’s telling the story to a writer (an underutilized Mike Faist), it’d make more sense for him to just interview various members of the gang for an oral history format.
I don’t generally like to criticize specific acting techniques or accent work — Lord knows I probably could have gone long on the Amy Winehouse performances in Back to Black — but Comer’s performance here is extremely wonky at times. The accent is a mix of Frances McDormand in Fargo meets Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas but, more importantly, Comer often is far too reliant on wide-eyed looks and general apathy searching for a performance. The character is presented as an innocent babe in the woods but there’s little depth to her relationship with Benny. If she’s attracted to the danger we don’t see her reveling in the excitement of it.
Instead, the movie sets Kathy up as being in a battle of wills for Benny’s soul with Johnny, and it’s not really a fair match. Tom Hardy is boasting an equally over-the-top accent — going for a muddy Marlon Brando mumble — but there’s an inner turmoil roiling within him. Said to have taken inspiration for starting the group from Brando’s own film The Wild One, Johnny is only as powerful as the respect he’s given in the club; we aren’t privy to anything regarding his personal life short of he’s married. But as Nichols’ script lays out, the desire for everyone joining the club is to find some semblance of normality and control outside of their reality.
This is Hardy’s movie, through and through, because every time he’s on-screen you’re just waiting for something. A scene where a member challenges him results in Hardy coolly croaking, “Fists or knives?” In a movie without too many explosive moments, this fight scene is all sorts of intense to watch. It also serves as a strong foil for another fight scene towards the movie’s end.
If you’re going to watch this for Austin Butler prepare for him to be a more muted presence. He’s given a movie star introduction, leaning over a pool table in a scene where you can practically hear the audience swoon. He’s the character by which everyone gravitates towards and Butler does so much with just his presence. But there are large stretches of the movie where he’s stuck in the back, reacting, or off-screen in favor of Kathy.
The stark transition to the 1970s brings with it a more dour presentation of the club, and the ultimate transition from motorcycle clubs being communities of men and turning into gangs. If you’ve seen Sons of Anarchy you know the drill. It never truly meets the first 40-50 minutes that we saw but there’s never a moment that’s outright boring.
We’re nearing 800 words and, at the end of the day, The Bikeriders is worth watching but never enters the realm of truly great cinema. Tom Hardy and Austin Butler are great, but the decision to make Kathy the narrator — even if that’s how Danny Lyon’s book operates — doesn’t work, particularly with Comer’s grating accent. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out there’s an extra 30 minutes of this movie waiting around for a director’s cut that might make everything feel a bit more whole. But it’s definitely one to see and experience.
The Bikeriders hits theaters June 21.
The review of Jeff Nichols’ latest film, "The Bikeriders," delves into its ambitious exploration of motorcycle culture and its nods to Scorsese-esque storytelling. While the film captivates with its portrayal of 1960s Chicago motorcycle clubs, particularly through Tom Hardy’s commanding performance as Johnny, there are moments where the narrative feels disjointed. Jodie Comer’s portrayal of Kathy, while intriguing, sometimes falls short in capturing the depth needed for her character’s pivotal role. Amidst the film’s exploration of camaraderie and conflict within the Vandals, the visual and thematic parallels to iconic films like "Goodfellas" are evident. It’s within this context that I found myself drawn to the rugged yet stylish jackets worn by the characters, prompting me to seek out a similar piece at https://safyd.com/product/mens-chicago-vandals-johnny-jacket/. The film’s visual storytelling and character dynamics make for an engaging experience, echoing the allure of motorcycle culture depicted on screen.