Film Review: The Bike Riders

The Bike Riders (2023) - Dir. Jeff Nichols, starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer.

The Bike riders, loosely based on a 1968 book of the same name deals with a period in the life of a Chicago Motorcycle Club charting its transformation from a group of amiable misfits who were just into bikes to a violent criminal franchise. 

The film stars Austin Butler - recent portrayer of Elvis - as good-looking nihilist Benny; hard man Tom Hardy as Johnny, founder, leader and Brando wannabe; and Jodie Comer as Kathy; Benny’s girlfriend.

Period detail is good, and the two British actors’ accents can’t be faulted - though as common films everyone seems to survive without visible means of support. Early in the club’s life, when focused on racing we see some Triumph and BSA twins hurtling around a dirt track; when Johnny splits off as a ‘riding club’ it seems to be 100% H-D. It would need someone better acquainted with the marquee than I am to identify the models. In truth though we don’t see a lot of riding apart from one scene in which a police pursuit of Benny ends with him running out of ‘gas’ - if only he’d done a POWDERSS check!

Within the overall storyline we see the club setting up chapters over a wider area and attracting evermore undesirable types, referencing the decline of the 60s dream. Although there is no overt homoeroticism a major theme is a ‘love triangle’ as Johnny and Kathy vie for Benny’s attention.

When Benny is badly assaulted by two non-biking representatives of a ‘straight’ society Johnny exacts extreme revenge, only to then in turn to be toppled from his position by younger and more ruthless elements - knives and knuckledusters have given way to firearms.

A great film? No but top class acting, some interesting issues and themes to think about and some biking interest it’s definitely worth a watch.

Available to stream if you can’t catch it at a cinema.

John McNally