The Bikeriders

Seven years after Jeff Nichols directed both Midnight Special and Loving in 2016, he would then return to make The Bikeriders in 2023. The poster would sell this as Austin Butler in a James Dean / Marlon Brando style role but this quite far and away from the crime drama that you might expect. This is all loosely based on a photobook by Danny Lyon who spent time with biker groups in 1960s and 70s, and I was curious to see what this was all about giving its talented cast.

The story sees Jodie Comer's character recount her experiences when she became entangled with a member of a biker club, which started off innocently but gradually became something much more sinister and attracted trouble along the way. Austin Butler is the love interest and Tom Hardy is the family man who created the club with a few friends and sees it expand over time. 

I went into this expecting something akin to Goodfellas but, unbeknownst to me going in, this is directed by Nichols, who favours a slower, more introspective approach and I must say this will not be for everyone. If you have a passion for biker clubs from around this period then you will warm to the colourful cast of characters but there isn't a great deal here for anyone expecting a story with higher stakes. The Bikeriders still delivers when it comes to its visuals and captures the era well with a nice score, and the sound of the bikes will be music to the ears of many petrolheads.

This is all not to say this is dull but my overall impression was that of "that's alright, I wouldn't watch it again" by end because there isn't anything particularly memorable here. The cast are good but the story is just fine; it's not too long but I found myself checking to see how much was left before the credits. It'll be a decent drama for most viewers if you can navigate past Comer's squeaky accent but I guess I expected something more riveting which makes this a light recommendation.