Among the bigger wastes of time in 2024 is The Bikeriders, a movie that wants the credit for modern gang violence to go to manboys in love with Marlon Brando in The Wild One. My biggest question regarding this homage to retro thug life is: “Who and what is supporting this lifestyle?” Sometimes there are answers; sometimes there are not.
While the film is about a motorcycle club called The Vandals, it is told through the eyes of non-Vandal, Kathy (Jodie Comer). Kathy has a Vandal-in-the-night (Vandals in the night/exchanging tattoos) encounter and gets twenty-year-old bike enthusiast Benny (Austin Butler) to take her home … where he doesn’t leave. Ever. Despite no romantic promise on Jodie’s part, Benny hangs out on his bike across the street all night -which the neighbors must LOVE, btw. Among other people who aren’t a fan of the “not leaving” thing is Jodie’s boyfriend, who immediately moves out.
We are told Kathy marries Benny five weeks later, because of course she does. And although neither partner seems to hold a job of any kind -we know for a fact that Benny doesn’t work- they live in Kathy’s house paying mortgages and groceries with hopes and dreams, apparently.
Someone who does hold a job is the leader of the Vandals, Johnny (Tom Hardy), who has a wife and kids at home. Oh, so this is like the Army Reserve or a weekend warrior situation, i.e. although the film never stops talking about The Vandals, the group only appears on Saturdays and Sundays, I’m guessing. I do wonder how Johnny’s wife feels about Johnny ditching the family on weekends. I suppose it doesn’t matter; this film ain’t about squares. It’s about rebellion, daddy-o. Apologies, The Bikeriders is set in the Chicago of 1965; I’m sure by then, we were past “daddy-o.”
While watching this film, I was alarmed at how little helmet use was going on among club members. And I really wish The Vandals had a dental plan.
Among the more disturbing set of scenes occurs when Benny is hospitalized for wearing gang colors to a neutral bar. Johnny and his pals return the favor by torching the bar and taking the names/addresses of the men 
who nearly severed Benny’s leg. The film doesn’t tell us what happened to those men. Did The Vandals kill them? I can’t pretend that any justice is going on here, and I’m a bit alarmed that the film failed to tell us what went on. I picture the gang not just killing the bullies but perhaps injuring several of their family members as well. This is what we’re talking about, right? This is an entire film devoted to guys who want to be part of something and have no qualms about the inherent violence within their patronage.
This club only differs from The Mafia in focus. Perhaps that’s the point. The Bikeriders is not shy about telling us how people like to feel like they belong to something … a club, a group, a movement, even if that something encourages lawless behavior.
The Bikeriders is an homage to (I’m told) the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang, and it feels like an homage; the scenes don’t really flow; they’re more of a “this is what happened when …” situation. The film itself points how contradictory the group is – the all-masculine tribe is comprised of people who dislike rules, and yet gladly and unquestioningly accept several upon joining the gang. This especially strikes me as MAGA behavior – the difference between their own self-perception and reality could not be starker. Overall, I found the film pointless and disjointed. And by the end of The Bikeriders, I cared nothing for any of the players, for they clearly all just wanted to be part of the club; to me, The Bikeriders felt like Bring It On for manboys. If all of you Peter Pan-syndrome geniuses love beer, bikes, and brawling so much, hey, more power to ya; but I see little here that makes me want to see more.
There was once a young biker named Benny
Who had sociopathic issues and many
Yet he attracted a mate
Without having to date
Or even spending one single penny
Rated R, 116 Minutes
Director: Jeff Nichols
Writer: Jeff Nichols, Danny Lyon
Genre: Bad Boys Bad Boys
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Incels
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Me, apparently
