The Bikeriders is one of those movies that is made for a very specific kind of audience. Your interest in the motorcycle club lifestyle is ultimately going to be what decides if you click with this or not. The poster in my theatre said that this was like Goodfellas on bikes and that is a very good way to look at it.
How to Download The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders was released on June 21, 2024. You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from Peacock TV or another digital platform about two months from its premiere. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
The Movie Review
This is based on a photo book by Danny Lyon. Danny Lyon traveled with the Vandals motorcycle club as he took photos and made a journal of the club’s activities. After seeing the trailer, I thought for sure that Austin Butler’s Benny Cross was the main character and this was his story, but that is not exactly the case.
A Story of Brotherhood and Power
The Vandals are run by club founder Johnny. Johnny is played by Tom Hardy and he is as tough as they come, but he has a real love for his brothers, and like most “gangs” the club comes first. He rules with an iron fist and we do see his leadership challenged and defended. He is the kind of guy that if you are one of his guys, he will 100 percent have your back, but you sure as hell do not want to be on the bad side of him.
Love, Loyalty, and Conflict
For me, The Bikeriders felt like it was mainly the story of Jodie Comer’s Kathy. Kathy meets and falls in love with Benny and the two get married really quickly. There is kind of a love triangle between Kathy and Benny, but not with another man or woman, it is with the club! The club gets its hooks into Benny and as things get more violent and more illegal, she desperately wants Benny to leave the club.
Club Dynamics and Tensions
As well as the drama with Benny and Kathy, things are not exactly great for Johnny either. Johnny has people wanting to expand the club, but he is hesitant, you can see him losing control and it ends pretty much how you would expect something like this to end.
A Stellar Cast
The whole cast does such a great job here. While it is Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy on the poster and heavily featured in the promo stuff, The Bikeriders also has a great support cast. Michael Shannon is as intense as always and then we have Norman Reedus! Norman Reedus is clearly having the time of his life here and I am sure they just told him he would get to ride a bike for a few weeks and that was all he needed to hear in order to sign on for this.
Raw and Gritty Realism
There is just something very real, raw, and gritty about The Bikeriders. I do feel that you at least need a passing interest in the culture to fully get it. However, perhaps you may also get hooked on the whole personal drama between Benny and Kathy as well. I had a lot of fun with this and I would probably watch it again when it hits streaming. This is well worth checking out while it is in theatres.
