The Bikeriders

There’s no goal to be met or secret to be uncovered. Instead, it’s a collection of odd, wonderfully realized vignettes that plunge us into an alternative way of life that it neither glamorizes nor satirizes but simply strives to understand.

Most contemporary westerns end up mourning a vanished era of compromised freedom. The Bikeriders doesn’t quite believe in that myth, but it still finds time to dampen a handkerchief as its shadow recedes. A flawed, fascinating film.

What resonates beyond the brawls and blood is a profound affection for the people onscreen — those grace notes provided by a fine cast, with Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy stirring undercurrents that are particularly affecting precisely because they’re never explicitly examined or explained.

Like Lyon balancing looking out and looking in “The Bikeriders,” Nichols balances the mythic and mundane in this version.

An affectionate take on a much-romanticized subculture, The Bikeriders purrs along rather than zips, but its stellar cast ensures a smooth ride as Jeff Nichols offers some insights into the highs and lows of a legendary motorcycle gang.

It is too conventional to be an outlaw, but Nichols and the cast have a blast pretending.

This is a two hour waste of a lot of fine vintage motorcycles.

This film was such a pleasant surprise because rather than a typical hollywood film filled with special effects, it focused on the characters and their varied nuances. It is a beautiful produced ensemble piece that captures so much by facial expressions alone. I left this film wanting to know so much more about these characters, especially Kathy. Jodie Comer is absolutely outstanding in this film. How she was able to capture Kathy's very unique dialect and come across so real is mind boggling. Oscar worthy indeed. Kudos to Jeff Nichols for developing such a visually creative film from a photograph book as well as the ultra talented cast and exceptional crew for making such a unique film that showcased a culture I was never introduced to but I want to know more about.

"The Bikeriders" (2023) was a disappointing movie for me given the excellent movies writer, director Jeff Nichols made before ("Take Shelter", "Mud"). This movie features all star cast with great ones like Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Jodie Comer. As for Austin Butler - he gave the weakest performance in my opinion. The best one was by Jodie Comer. But the worst parts about "The Bikeriders" is the story and storytelling. The story itself is nothing special, we did have seen it many times before - even if it based on true events its nothing to write home about. The storytelling did drag - at running time ~2 hours this movie isn't very involving. But some good acting, some nice and tense scenes here and there saved this movie from being below average. Overall, "The Bikeriders" is one that can be skipped, unfortunately given the very talented cast and director / writer at the helm. A disappointing movie.

A well crafted film about something not a lot of people care about. You find yourself suddenly wanting your own motorcycle and to find people to ride with (if you didn't already). Surprisingly really enjoyed this film!!! CONTINUE READING ON LETTERBOXD: ****/8FwyFz

This film attempts to dramatize the brotherhood of motorcycle gangs while desperately dragging its way through what is generous to call a plot. 2/10.

This move tries really hard with to "copy" the style of really good interesting movies like "Good Fellas." It uses the same sort of narration - albeit through the voice of an annoying woman with a thick accent - and uses music similarly. What's missing is a "purpose" or "plot" to drive the film. I walked about after about 90 minutes. I decided I'd rather be home and watch another episode of "Outer Range" than stuck for another 30 minutes on a bikeride that feels like a stationary bike.