I haven’t been this antsy in my seat at the movies since Luca Guadagnino’s Challangers. Before you go see this film I must inform you of something: there is no kissing in the entirety of this film. I have seen a handful of reviews knocking the Bikeriders for being “uptight” or “inauthentic.” Personally I wonder if we watched the same film. The Bikeriders is a story about a biker club, with a traditional Americana aesthetic- bandanas, tight jeans, motorcycles and leather. This film is told through the point of view of a woman who was not a member of the club, she was married into it… so obviously we aren’t getting the full picture, isn’t that the point? If you are watching a film that is rooted in narration, I’d hope you’d understand that the story is going to be jaded. The Bikeriders is narrated by Jodie Comer who plays Kathy, Benny’s wife, as she is interviewed by a man who too was not a member of the club. These two individuals are sharing their experience of what it was like to be attached to the club without their own colors. I think people are disappointed that we didn’t get more of Hardy and Butler’s perspective, but we aren’t meant to.
Jodi Comer is The Bikeriders. She is the movie. Kathy and Danny’s (Mike Fiast) candid conversation is the foundation of the entire film, without their connection the film would simply be about a biker club with two leading men who may or may not be in love with one another The opening scene of the film to the title card gives you all the context you’re gonna need to understand Benny (Austin Butler) in the best way possible. Benny is a guy who’s only care in the world is his bike and the liberty it gives him, the jacket on his back is a sign of faith. Benny is a character who speaks very few words but his eyes reveal everything he can’t put into words, without his bike or the club and Johnny (Tom Hardy) he’s got nothing- or so we think. “You’d have to kill me to get this jacket off,” Butler’s first line in the film sets us up for a sort of predictable journey with the Chicago Vandals. I've never wanted to be a biker more in my life, and I had a huge Sons of Anarchy phase two years ago. The general scope of the film is based on a novel of the same title written by Danny Lyon; A photographer who followed the club around from 1965 to 1973. Kathy is the brawn of this film, Johnny is the brains, and Benny is the beauty.
The story goes, Johnny Davis started the Chicago Vandals biker club after watching The Wild One with Marlon Brando. The club began as a racing club and slowly progressed into a greasy, leather filled biker gang by the end of the film. Kathy is our lens into the world of the Vandals, her testimonials with Danny are honest, comical, but most of all delivered with such a specific cadence of dialogue I could listen to her all day. Kathy meets our notorious Benny at the biker bar in 1965, though it seems to be love at first sight Kathy is one stubborn cat; Benny and Kathy got married five weeks later. Though Benny and Kathy’s relationship is the driving force of the film, the real meat and potatoes comes from the supporting members of the club. Zipco (Michael Shannon), Funny Sonny (Norman Reedus), Cockroach (Emory Cohen), Brucie (Damon Herrimen), and my personal favorite Cal (Boyd Holbrook). These men, and more, are the backbone of the club. The Vandals is not just a club, at the end of the day it’s a second family for these guys, for some it’s all they have. The club begins to expand across the midwest, opening new chapters all over, commencing the start of the club's downfall. In 1969 Benny is attacked, taking us back to the opening scene of the film. After this attack Kathy makes it clear she wants Benny to leave the club, to both Benny and Johnny. However while Benny is recovering from surgery, Johnny pressures him to come to a motorcycle rally before he is fully healed. Johnny offers Benny leadership of the club when he steps down, but Benny rejects it.
If there was only one scene to watch and remember from this film, let it be the insanely intimate conversation between Benny and Johnny. This scene made me sit up in my seat and physically dig my nails into my cheeks. The lighting is so precise, barely illuminating the two gentlemen as they speak not even an inch from eachother’s face. Johnny offers Benny leadership, and we see again later in the film Benny has no desire to lead the club. But more importantly Benny doesn’t ask for favors, his bike is his life and he’s not willing to give that up stepping into Johnny’s shoes. This scene was shot how you would block a confession of love in the rain, but there is no rain; just dark, raw, emotion. Austin Butler’s performance of Benny is so entrancing, from the way he walks to the way he gets on his bike there is an undeniable power. If Benny had been mute you would still know exactly what he was trying to say from his body language alone, making his relationship with both Kathy and Johnny so distinct. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of a desperate yet dedicated leader is heartfelt and his accent work is fantastic, as always. It is clear as day that Benny and Johnny have a very deep connection but I don’t think that it’s as homoerotic as people are making it out to be. Johnny sees a bit of himself in Benny and respects his careless attitude, would a kiss have been nice? Of course, but we don’t even get to see Benny and Kathy kiss so I assume they kept that behind closed doors, or in their imagination. There’s nothing wrong with a little bromance.
Back in '73, Lyon sits down with Kathy to get the scoop on the Vandals' wild ride. Kathy spills the beans: Johnny's heart sank after his right-hand man Brucie bit the dust, and things went haywire when Vietnam vets with a taste for trouble joined the gang. At a party, old-timer Cockroach gets thrashed by the newbies when he says he wants to swap his biker boots for a cop badge. Meanwhile, poor Kathy's almost dragged into a nightmare, but Johnny saves her in the knick of time. She blows her top and tells Benny to ditch the Vandals, but he vanishes for a few days instead. To help Cockroach bail safely, Johnny and Benny cook up a fake break-in at Cockroach's pad, leaving him with a non-fatal bullet wound. Fed up with the chaos and turning down Johnny's leadership offer once more, Benny throws in the towel and skips town, leaving Chicago in the dust. It feels like throughout the entire film we are waiting for Benny to flee town, but when it happens it feels almost anticlimactic. Benny does fortunately return to town but the circumstances are anything but joyous. He returns after receiving news in a random bar that Johnny had been shot and killed.
Following Johnny’s unfortunate yet predictable death, the club falls into a world of chaos. “The Kid” (Toby Wallace) is a captivating villain, his backstory is sad but it’s hard to feel bad for someone who’s just vile and self-serving. Johnny didn’t have an honorable death, and with his passing it seems the honor of the Vandals fleeted as well. The film ends with Kathy and Danny talking over coffee as she reveals she and Benny moved to Florida, he works in a garage and gave up the biker lifestyle. Typically this ending would be flat for me, but the bond between Benny and Kathy just made me cry. At the end of the day, this is a story about a group of misfits who find their footing in a biker club; riding and racing away from reality. The biggest takeaway from this film is how talented Jodi Comer is, her performance is remarkable. Tom Hardy and Austin Butler work in tandem to display the mechanics of the club and baker culture, but Kathy and Danny add humanity. I absolutely loved this film, the editing is quick and enticing; the costume design is casual and recognizable; and Austin Butler is The Bikerider. But without Kathy all he’s got is a death wish on two wheels. I highly recommend this film for anyone who is attracted to men covered in grease, or someone looking for a good hearty movie. I rated it 5 stars, am I biased… most definitely, but I’m honest. Cin Cin!
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