Skip to content
The Bikeriders is based on the titular photo-book by Danny Lyon, opening with – and featuring throughout – interviews he carried out between 1965 and 1973, and who are based on the real people involved.
Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy – Dunkirk) leads the Vandals Motorcycle Club, based on the original, Outlaws Motorcycle Club, but he’s been in this game a long time, and there’s always a young challenger coming up, which might include Benny Cross (Austin Butler – Elvis, Dune Part Two), despite getting beaten up in a bar brawl very early on.
Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer with a ‘New Yoik’ accent) gets a ride home from Benny early on, but Johnny also fancies her, even though she already has a boyfriend, but can cool Benny whisk her away and into his world?
Still, the third wheel is old enough and ugly enough, and should really be thinking about what his actual wife needs in life, and when it comes to being challenged by The Kid (Toby Wallace – The Royal Hotel), maybe it’s time to call it a day?
I was really looking forward to The Bikeriders, but the trailer made this feel like it was going to be a gritty drama, yet it comes across more like a silly comedy.
Plus, although this is based on real people, Tom’s character comes across more like he’s channelling Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone from The Godfather, mumbling through his words in the same drawl.
And while they’re going about in the gang, how do they support their lifestyle in terms of viable employment? Benny’s fairly young, but Johnny’s clearly settled into middle-age.
Additionally, there are a few well-known faces in the supporting cast of bikers, such as Michael Shannon (as Zipco), Norman Reedus (as Funny Sonny) and Boyd Holbrook (as Cal), along with Challengers‘ Mike Faist as interviewer/author Danny Lyon, but none of them do anything that lingers in the mind.
The Bikeriders is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date TBA.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 116 minutes
Release date: June 21st 2024
Studio: Universal Pictures
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 (Anamorphic Panavision)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 4/10
Director: Jeff Nichols
Producers: Sarah Green, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Arnon Milchan
Screenplay: Jeff Nichols
Music: David Wingo
Cast:
Kathy Bauer: Jodie Comer
Benny Cross: Austin Butler
Johnny Davis: Tom Hardy
Zipco: Michael Shannon
Danny: Mike Faist
Cal: Boyd Holbrook
Funny Sonny: Norman Reedus
Brucie: Damon Herriman
Wahoo: Beau Knapp
Cockroach: Emory Cohen
Corky: Karl Glusman
The Kid: Toby Wallace
Big Jack: Happy Anderson
Gary Rogue Leader: Paul Sparks
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.