The Bikeriders (2024)
Directed by Jeff Nichols
Written by Jeff Nichols
Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer
Release Date June 21st, 2024
Published June 23rd, 2024
Austin Butler stars in The Bikeriders as Benny. We are told in an early scene that women avoid Benny because he's a tragedy waiting to happen. He is known for repeatedly crashing his bike and for being a hothead regarding his motorcycle club, The Vandals. We never actually see him crash his motorcycle. Not one time. So I am not sure why that was introduced as a defining trait but, whatever. Naturally, being told to stay away from Benny is every woman's weakness and thus Kathy (Jodi Comer), a very non-biker chick, goes for him in a big way. Kathy has a home and a good job and she wants nothing more than to take the wild and free Benny and domesticate him.
The Vandals didn't set out to be a motorcycle gang. Initially, they were about motorcycle racing but Johnny (Tom Hardy), wanted something more and The Vandals were born as a group of friends who like riding, drinking and fighting together while wearing variations on the same jacket. Johnny was literally inspired by seeing a Marlon Brando movie, The Wild One, on TV one night. From there, he built the gang, bought a bar for them to hang out in, and rode motorcycles all over the Midwest, often using intimidation to keep people from messing with his friends.
Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here.
