The Film Buffa Reviews: 'The Bikeriders' roars its engine early, but unfortunately rides into familiar territory
Stylistic yet tone deaf, Jeff Nichols' latest falls short of modest expectations.
I feel like reviewing a movie directly after a screening is harder than it seems, at least honestly. As Benedict Cumberbatch once said about building a role, it’s nice to have the runway built before the plane takes off. Composing a review in your head, transmitting it to the hands, and out into the world is a similar process.
Jeff Nichols’ new film, The Bikeriders, is a movie that starts fast and gets our attention. Eventually, the hollow characters come to a head that we all saw coming, and the results are not that surprising. A big cast, talented filmmaker, and real world aesthetic to build on makes one yearn for a rugged documentary on the life of a biker. However, while I didn’t particularly like the movie, the general reaction isn’t outright negative.
The trailer and story intrigued me at first, fine fabric with a cast and filmmaker like this. The raconteur style of the story was even decent, an easy way to tell a years long story. Tom Hardy, Damon Herriman, and Michael Shannon are authentic as ever, but feel like they’re in a different movie than the central characters played by Jodie Comer and Austin Butler.
Their love story is composed down to a single night of meeting, going for a ride, and then Butler’s Benny sitting on his motorcycle all night. Then, the narrative kicks around, with a heavy helping of narration from Comer and a series of events that feels more like a mixed cocktail than the straight bourbon drink it needed to be.
One of the biggest issues I have with the film revolves around the accent used by Comer (we hear a lot of it), and the listless character created by Butler. Her take on Kathy’s voice is like a high-pitched wind chime whine that gets worse. Whether she’s retelling a story or pleading with one of the men, it gets to be too much. You’ll know right away.
Butler’s definitely getting over the Elvis accent or building up to it while filming this role, but there isn’t much to Benny. You get some sort of chemistry between them, but the flashback style of the tale throws them together after one night spent outside her house. And then formulaic tendencies come in after some initial fun, mostly brought on by Hardy’s genius.
“I want him out of the club.”
“He won’t go.”
“You can’t have him, Johnny.”
And that’s a cinematic yawn. After a promising start, The Bikeriders became familiar. It would have been better if they picked a couple where he wanted out and she wanted him to stay in. Lady Macbeth it up, or make the overall bang of the movie fresher than this. As is, the ending isn’t hard to figure out, so it’s less interesting.
Hardy’s Johnny is a strong build but suffers from a tug of war in screen time with the less interesting leads. Maybe it’s just his gift, or a constant ability to tap into a character with an original voice, but you wanted more time with Johnny. However, the subplot with an up and coming biker gang leader, played by Toby Wallace, is so telegraphed that it lessens the drama of the third act, and weakens Hardy’s overall character arc.
A stillness to the story and its stakes took a little away. Parts of the film wanted to be a drama and then there were lighter parts. All together, it was well shot and had a few good performances, but fell short of expectations and sits as a letdown in my book.
Good or bad is a tricky review pattern these days, so here’s my newish method. Is it worth seeing right now, eventually, or not at all?
The Bikeriders should be seen eventually but more like when it’s down to $6.99 instead of $19.99 or instantly in a movie theater. If you’re a mad dog Hardy, Butler, or Comer fan, it’ll fill the tank up halfway. I was left wanting more. Nichols usually makes a rock solid film or something more, but everyone is afforded a long flyout to the warning track. For more reviews and commentary, ping-pong around the site a little.
