‘THE BIKERIDERS’ IS A MOVIE THAT LOOKS AT EARLY MOTORCYCLE CLUBS

Motorcycle clubs are exactly that: a group of people who just enjoy driving motorcycles. In the 1960s that was a common thing to see. Just guys that rode their bikes and found comradery in each other’s company and talking about motorcycles. Sometimes they didn’t have the best intentions but were pretty harmless. Some groups consisted of people of all walks of life just trying to find their way in America that was changing and finding a way to express themselves. Others were just loners or social misfits looking for somewhere to fit in. This was way before the 1970s when gangs took over and changed the view and purpose of the clubs. The Bikeriders on Peacock is a story of one of the founding clubs out of Chicago based on the book by Danny Lyon. Lyon’s book was mostly photos he took while riding with a club called the Outlaws.

The movie is loosely based on the book and is a fictional take on the change of the club over the years. The club is called the Chicago Vandals in the movie with Tom Hardy playing Johnny who is the leader of and club founder. He has surrounded himself with like minded riders and guys that are just being rebels for the sake of it. Benny, played by Austin Butler is a bit of a hotheaded member that catches the eye of Kathy, played by Jodie Comer. Kathy was who Lyon interviewed the most when researching for his book and is the narrator of the movie. It follows the group as they form the club and bond over riding motorcycles. Kathy tells us the good and the bad of being in the club including when newer members don’t see it as a club as much as a gang with an excuse to do whatever they want to whoever they want.

The Bikeriders is a very good movie. It has the vibe of watching Goodfellas and shows that similar sense of family that those types of movies convey. For the most part, these aren’t bad people doing nefarious crimes. They’re just tough guys finding their place until things start to go a different direction. For some that might not be enough as the story stops short of everything going completely south. However, the story here isn’t about that, but about when things were at their best. It feels so real and not forced with the dialogue staying away from corny stereotypes, but holding true to the subject matter. Hardy and Butler put on great performances, but Comer should be up for an Oscar at the Academy Awards this coming year. She shines as Kathy and nails her accent to a tee while hitting every line and pause perfectly. Definitely get this on your watch list.