Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy and Austin Butler join forces and star in this biker club movie inspired by the true events of the “Chicago Outlaws” in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I was super excited when this movie first got announced and then got super bummed out because it was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. Sometimes this hurts movies, sometimes it doesn’t. For The Bikeriders, it was the latter.
Austin Butler was coming in HOT off of Dune Part 2, being released earlier this year and boy did he deliver again. Everything from his presence on screen, the way he carried himself and the accent he put on, you would have thought he was actually part of a biker club.
Along with him, we see Jodie Comer, in my opinion, delivers her best performance ever. She aced the accent and delivery, and I could hear her talk like that all day. Tom Hardy also gives a terrific performance. I am slowly getting on the Tom Hardy train. I believe I first really recognized him was in The Dark Knight Rises and have been a fan ever since. I truly think he can play almost any role and be spectacular at it.
It was also fantastic to see Norman Reedus in motion pictures again. He is most famous for his role as Darryl Dixon in the AMC series The Walking Dead and he was excellent here as the wacky biker Funny Sonny.
Along with the acting, the cinematography was also amazing. The producers perfectly encapsulated the era of the early 70’s. The shots with the motorcycles may have seemed stereotypical, but it was actually so well done in this film. I definitely think it was a plus to watch this movie in theaters too.
The main gripe I have with this film was the pacing and storytelling. It seemed like it was all over the place and there was no actual direction. Some parts I understood pretty well but others were a mess and slightly unneeded for the movie to progress. It was way too scene jumpy at times and might have been told better as a linear story. Although the flashbacks and the scenes with Jodie Comer’s character talking with reporter Danny (played by Mike Faist) were pretty solid, I‘m not sure if it was the right decision.
Final Thoughts:
Alongside amazing performances, great camera work, and a phenomenal set, the film definitely lacks great storytelling. Not saying that it is bad, just a few minor issues that I had with it and it was tough to follow sometimes. I can absolutely see this film being nominated for a few awards during Oscar season but for it to win anything as of now may be a stretch. I would recommend seeing this movie just to see Comer, Butler and Hardy tear up the screen.
