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The Bikeriders 4K Ultra HD Review

 

  • 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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