‘The Bikeriders’ Review – Jodie Comer Is the Heart of a Mixed Bag of a Movie

This assessment was initially half of our protection for the 2023 London Film Festival.

Jeff Nichols’s The Bikeriders has inadvertently turn into one of the most anticipated releases of the yr. Premiering at the Telluride Film Festival and London Film Festival final yr, its authentic launch date was December 2023 however twentieth Century Studios took it off its slate resulting from the writers’ strike. Focus Features then picked up the US distribution rights with Universal dealing with its worldwide launch, lastly giving The Bikeriders a confirmed launch date of June 2024. It’s been a lengthy highway that The Bikeriders has needed to zoom down, which sadly has added extra hype than the movie deserves. This is just exacerbated by it starring a plethora of Hollywood names, together with just lately instated it boys, Austin Butler and Mike Faist. The ensemble drama epitomizes that saying “Too many cooks in the kitchen.” While there are a lot of proficient cooks crowded over the hobs, there isn’t a taste or spice. Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, and Mike Faist, the newest image from the Mud and Loving director is a chaotic misfire, full of lovely faces however no substance.

What Is ‘The Bikeriders’ About?

The Bikeriders follows a twin timeline. In the current, which is the early ‘70s, we watch Jodi Comer’s Kathy be interviewed by a former bike gang member turned photographer and budding journalist (an underused Mike Faist in the function of the writer of the e-book the movie is predicated on). As she does her laundry, complains about bikes in her yard, and drinks beer, she recounts the story of how she met her husband, Benny (Austin Butler). As Kathy regales, we return a few years and watch her tales unfold in actual time. We see Kathy and Benny meet in a bar, 5 weeks after which they marry. We learn the way the Chicago Vandals, the bike gang that Benny is devoutly dedicated to was began by chief Johnny (Tom Hardy working on one other planet). We meet varied members of the gang, we watch them journey and journey and journey, and we bear witness to a marriage that we’re supposed to be invested in. And, yeah, with some violence, arson, knives, and weapons — that’s about it.

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The Bikeriders appears shiny on the floor. It has a proficient ensemble — from Emmy winners to Oscar nominees to the King himself, Michael Shannon. It’s about a motorcycle gang so we’d anticipate some motion, intrigue, and a good story. But it delivers on none of this. It jumps round from character to character, giving us varied conversations that haven’t any depth as a result of none of the arduous work has been achieved. There’s no setup or character improvement to make us care about any of these interactions. Rather a lot of the runtime (two hours however looks like three) is dedicated to watching these individuals drink some beer and shoot the shit — and it’s all so boring.

‘The Bikeriders’ Puts Too Much Time in the Wrong Places

If the movie took some of the time given to secondary, inconsequential characters and devoted it to the essential gamers, it will be in a higher spot. The coronary heart of this movie is supposed to be the marriage between Benny and Kathy. Kathy goes up towards the formidable Johnny (formidable if Tom Hardy didn’t appear like he had simply been zapped into this dimension and was making an attempt to play it cool) and endures the stupidity of the no-good gang members as a result of she loves her husband. But that love is nowhere to be seen. Comer and Butler haven’t any chemistry and their relationship is given barely any care. “Five weeks later I married him.” Listen, no lady must justify marrying Austin Butler, however when this relationship is the core of the story, a few extra particulars would have been good. Seeing a tender love story towards all the grime and leather-based might have made this considerably compelling, particularly once we’re advised many times that we should always care about the destiny of this relationship.

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The film shines when it’s not taking itself too significantly. A significant theme all through is the folly of man, and the way one (man) can get caught up in a method of life they assume is empowering however is definitely simply harmful and silly. Nichols doesn’t glamorize a fistfight between Johnny and a difficult member. As they roll round in the mud and get their fingers damaged, they appear like two spoiled brats preventing over the final cookie, and it’s briefly wonderful. Johnny does not kind the group as a result of he wants an outlet to exert his masculinity — he does it as a result of he needs to be as cool as Marlon Brando after he watches The Wild One. (A pleasant nod to the method films make little males look huge.) It takes away the pedestal of arduous males like these and divulges the affect on one’s livelihood, relationships, and identification that a life of violence has. If it leaned into these elements extra and lower some of the filler, it might have served as an fascinating commentary on masculinity and the glamorization of violence. “Could” is the operative phrase right here.

The movie does attempt to present the sinister underbelly of these gangs, however it finally ends up being wildly offensive. A misunderstanding ends in Kathy nearly being raped by three members of the gang. While she’s saved by Johnny and warranted she was the improper goal, it begs the query: who was the proper one? It insinuates that Kathy’s worth is decided by her relationships with males. It ought to have been a a lot-wanted reminder of what girls face in environments like these however finally ends up being an abhorrent case of slutshaming of girls who aren’t married to the huge canine.

The Performances of ‘The Bikeriders’ Are a Mixed Bag

Jodie Comer is the coronary heart of this film, and whereas her accent work is a far cry from Killing Eve, she fills her function nicely. Austin Butler is the huge shiny toy dangled earlier than us. While Benny is supposed to be the love of Kathy’s life and the apple of Johnny’s eye, he sort of simply sits there, smoking and saying completely nothing. Does he look good? No query. But for a character who drives his spouse and mentor to exit on a limb for him many times, his broody vacancy doesn’t match the invoice. This is under no circumstances Butler’s fault — the script (written by Nichols and primarily based on a memoir) lends him no depth. After Dune: Part Two showcased Butler’s darkish and eccentric facet, his clean moody stares do not make any use of the actor’s inherent expertise. Tom Hardy simply offers the funniest efficiency of his profession; whether or not that’s intentional or not I nonetheless don’t know. His accent is extra questionable than Comer’s however it offers a lot of laughs. Am I laughing with or at Johnny? Who cares, it is some enjoyable in an in any other case bland movie.

The Bikeriders might have been first rate however it will get misplaced in its pursuit of an epic story that simply isn’t there. While Comer makes a dedicated effort to hold the movie, it falls flat in its extreme filler, undeveloped characters, and symphony of bonkers accents.

REVIEW

The Bikeriders

The Bikeriders leans too closely on its proficient ensemble and asks its viewers to put money into a half-baked story.

Pros

• Jodie Comer offers a dedicated and passionate efficiency, making her a stand-out in the forged.

Cons

• The marriage between Kathy and Benny is at the heart of the story however their relationship is not developed sufficient to really feel genuine.
• The essential characters of The Bikeriders aren’t absolutely fashioned, making it arduous to hook up with them.

The Bikeriders is now accessible to stream on VOD in the U.S.

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