I rewatched Easy Rider the other night. The seminal biker movie from 1969 starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and a young Jack Nicholson is a disjointed, incidental film that doesn’t have a plot but has moments. Having watched Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, the director of Take Shelter, Mud and Loving seems to have decided that this is how you make a biker movie. They don’t have a plot; they just show moments in the characters’ lives. Like Easy Rider, it works in a captivating manner.

The Vandals are a motorbike club led by Johnny, who formed the club so the members could sit around, drink beer and talk about bikes. A photojournalist decides to create a book about the Vandals and, using interviews, tries to capture the members’ lives, especially Kathy, the young woman married to the enematic Benny. As the years go by, the Vandals go from a club to a notorious bike gang, changing with the time.

Nichols’ film is inspired by the photographic book of the same name by Danny Lyon, a fascinating insight into the notorious gangs who wore their colours with pride, drove the most impressive bikes and would spend their evenings drinking or fighting at what they called picnics. Nichols has gone down the route that the characters are far more critical than the storyline, starting from the late 50s and ending in the early 70s, where the attitudes of biker gangs changed to one of violence and fear rather than a more laid-back approach of the early years.

We follow the Vandals from the viewpoint of Kathy, the woman caught up in the club after falling for Benny, a quiet yet impressive member who doesn’t speak much but whose presence is definitely felt. Nichols captures the moods, tone, and appearance of the time with an eye to detail, with a needle-drop soundtrack capturing the years while focusing on the characters as they develop and grow throughout, particularly Kathy, Benny, and Johnny.

This kind of film would sit nicely in the cult and late-night cinemas, and those attracted to the film for the advertising may find it disappointing. While you can see why it has been compared to films like Goodfellas, this is more like the 1983 directorial debut from Kathryn Bigalow, The Loveless. A film that does include moments of violence and the occasional shocks but is more about the men and women who moved into these gangs, how the new members rely more on drugs than booze and, in the later years, turn to violence to inflict fear on communities than just between rival gangs.

As this film is more interested in the character than the plot, the performances need to be in top form, and with this cast of three of the best in the profession at the moment, it’s a winning combination. Tom Hardy, as Johnny, is laid back and yet manages to have an almost bulldog quality about him. A family man with a job who just wanted to hang out with fellow bikers and was influenced by Marlon Brando’s The Wild One, he is surprisingly caring, yet there is a toughness on the outside. Austin Butler, who has taken the acting world by storm with both Elvis and Dune Part 2, is Benny, a charismatic yet quiet and moody man, reminiscent of James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause. He oozes charm and is a powerful force on screen.

Yet the film’s lynchpin is Kathy, played brilliantly by Jodie Comer. Taking on a broad Chicago accent, she steals the film from everyone as her character grows from a disgusted young girl who falls for a wrong-un to almost the voice of reason for the gang, especially her husband. She glows throughout, and as she is almost the story’s narrator, she has to command every inch of her screen time, which she does magnificently.

The Bikeriders will appeal to an audience that wants intelligent, character-driven drama. However, as with most films so far this year, it won’t shake the box office. It will probably find its audience in the rep cinemas and those who show cult cinema to film fans who want more than just blockbusters.

4 out of 5

Director: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp

Written by: Jeff Nichols and (inspired by the photobook ‘The Bikeriders’) Danny Lyon

Running Time: 116 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 21st June 2024