The Bikeriders

The Bikeriders
Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon
Directed by Jeff Nichols

Biker films of the past have entirely been a man's game, where the women were confined to wifely duties: cleaning house, making meals, caring for the kids, and serving as moral support for their bad boy biker boyfriends/husbands. They were seen as playthings, where the men could use them at will without thinking of their feelings. These films are gritty, intense, and memorable, one of which being the iconic "Easy Rider." With "The Bikeriders," the roles reverse: while it's still a film about a gang of men starting a biker gang in Chicago in the 60s, it's told through the eyes of a woman who was no wilting flower, but a strong, independent, powerful voice that served for a unique love triangle where the man isn't the center, but it's the woman who's love is being torn in two different directions.

In 1965 Chicago, Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer) goes to a local biker bar and meets young hothead Benny Cross (Austin Butler) and is immediately smitten with him, even though she doesn't care for the bikers he runs with: the Vandals, led by the quiet yet powerful Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy). Despite her misgivings for the bikers themselves - seeing them as a bunch of idiots - she ends up marrying Benny and incorporates herself into the group, oftentimes serving as the voice of Johnny when he doesn't know how to articulate his sentences.

At first the biker gang is about community and brotherhood, uniting a group of like-minded men who go around town riding their bikes, but soon Johnny's grip on the group loosens and he finds himself in the middle of an out-of-control avalanche, requesting Benny take over the group to Kathy's chagrin. The bikers become more violent as the group grows, turning their reputation from a harmless group of riders to a villainous gang that participates in arson, shootings, and even murder.

My dad was a motorcycle guy but was never a part of a group, but even at a young age I didn't care for them, and I still don't. Yet there's something alluring when you see a group of guys out on their bikes, it's a feeling of freedom, a sense of belonging, and a fearless attitude that draws others to them. I can appreciate the male comradere that biker groups hold, and understand how quickly that can descend into violence. "The Bikeriders" tells this story in a way that hasn't been done before - through the eyes of a woman, who has her own strong voice and who doesn't shrink in the face of her masculine counterparts. Kathy is the wife of Benny, and she lets Johnny know that - she forbids Benny from taking over the lead role, and it seems that Benny listens to her, and Johnny is intimidated by her as well.

Jodie Comer is an unsung actress in Hollywood, best known for her role in "Killing Eve," but she's been killing it on the big screen as well. "Free Guy" and "The Last Duel" showcased her comedic and dramatic chops, and "The Bikeriders" puts them together, even though the comedy here is dark humor, it allows Comer to fully become her own character and serve as the film's anchor that holds it all together. She is wise-cracking, she is crass and blunt, and she deeply loves Benny and doesn't allow him to wander into dark territory when it comes to the increasingly violent biker group.

Austin Butler is the temperamental, hotheaded Benny who is young, dumb, and full of angst that is tempered when he marries Kathy, yet there's still some wanderlust in him that comes full circle during his time in the gang. Although repeatedly offered the leadership role by Johnny, he turns it down every time, and often gets involved in the most brutal fights in the process. Butler again proves his mettle in another memorable role.

Rounding out this unique triangle is Tom Hardy's Johnny, the leader of the Vandals and also a very complicated man. He's a family man with two young girls, yet he's prone to resorting to violence and intimidation to get his point across. He's a quiet man, yet a man who surprisingly has a code of conduct that he strictly adheres to: if anyone threatens his leadership, it's resolved by either fists or knives. He keeps the group under control for the most part, protecting the women and treating them with respect, but as the group gets bigger and he gets older, he finds himself unable to control it. Turning to Benny to take leadership, he's shocked when Kathy tells him that Benny won't do it, throwing herself into a role that Johnny never expected. Hardy plays this role in his sleep and he was the perfect choice for Johnny.

The film rounds out its cast with a huge A-list supporting roles by Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook and Beau Knapp who all give great performances as well. All around, the cast is strong and lends to the story in a great way, keeping you intrigued with Jeff Nichols' filming style of it being almost a documentary as Kathy tells her story.

The only issue I have with the film is that it's a bit too polished. Biker films are supposed to be gritty and dirty, much like the namesake of these genre films, but this feels almost too beautiful in a sense. Maybe it's because it's being told through Kathy's eyes, but the grittiness isn't there that opens the film to it's more darker tones near the end.

With a strong cast, an intriguing story and the feeling of freedom in the open road as well as it being told through the woman's eyes, "The Bikeriders" is a welcome addition to the biker subgenre that provides memorable moments and great performances.

The Score: A