- Director : Jeff Nichols
- Actors : Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon
- Dubbed: : French, Spanish, German
- Subtitles: : English, Latin Spanish, French
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Media Format : 4K, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 56 minutes
- Release date : August 13, 2024
Director Jeff
Nichols previously showed his abilities accurately recreating the 1960s in the
film Loving (2016), has often given voice to stories in the American
South, and understands how to tell dramatic stories in understated ways. All of
these factors seemed to make him the perfect choice for an adaptation of Danny
Lyon’s photo-book of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Unfortunately, The
Bikeriders feels like a movie based on photographs, with detail-oriented
images often taking importance over plot and character development.
Despite being
about a fictional biker gang called the Vandals Motorcycle Club, the
protagonist and narrator of the film is Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer), a woman whose
involvement with the bikers begins after she falls for a member of the Chicago-based
club named Benny Cross (Austin Butler). This relationship is at the center of the
story, although there are few reasons given for the audience to care about
their romance, especially with Kathy admitting she only fell for Benny because
he “wasn’t a candy-ass.” Benny appears even more apathetic to the relationship,
disappearing for patches of the plot and often more concerned with unnecessary violence
than romance. A nearly complete lack of insight into Benny’s character
ultimately hurts the film, especially while the narrative consistently places
him at the center of the narrative.
While Benny and
his relationship with Kathy is disappointing, it is the supporting characters
that often steal the show, especially with Tom Hardy a key role as the club’s
founder and president, Johnny Davis. Rumored to have started the biker club
after seeing Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1953), Johnny is the heart
of the movie, even if the screenplay by Nichols is more focused on romance
between two hot young actors. Even with Hardy giving a performance that feels
like an odd mix of Brando and Edward G. Robinson, he is endlessly more
watchable than the younger cast members at the forefront, and the character of Johnny
is also far more layered.
In addition to
the three stars leading the film, there is a fantastic supporting cast of actors
filling out smaller roles, and often stealing scenes with engaging
performances. Michael Shannon continues the professional relationship with Nichols
that began with the director’s debut, playing a member of the club named Zipco.
Norman Reedus plays a biker visiting from California called Funny Sonny, who
clearly resembles Dennis Hopper from Easy Rider (1969). Most of these
characters just help to provide color to the narrative, which is a shame given
how much more interesting they are than the romance forced into the foreground.
The 4K release of
The Bikeriders captures the spectacularly accurate production design in
pristine high-definition clarity with a lifelike range of colors. In addition
to the 4K Ultra HD disc, the Collector’s Edition also comes with a Blu-ray
copy, and a digital code for streaming and/or downloading. Along with multiple
ways to watch the film, there are plenty of special features for fans to enjoy,
highlighted by a feature commentary with Jeff Nichols. There are also three
promotional featurettes about the film covering the production design, cast of
characters, and the vision of Nichols.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 7/10
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