The Bikeriders

The other day my wife and I watched the gangster period drama, The Bikeriders, chronicling the rise and fall of the Vandals MC from Illinois. The movie was written and directed by Jeff Nichols and based off the book by Danny Lyon. It also features a stellar cast lead by Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer.

This movie is a lot better than I expected it to be. I really enjoyed the way that the story was told, and I liked that it was not just "Sons of Anarchy: the motion picture." The way the film was shot, coupled with the makeup and hairstyling really brought the viewer into that time period and added to the authentic feeling of the film. The performances delivered by Butler, Hardy, and Comer were very good, despite Comer's awful midwestern accent. I did hear however, that that is how the real Kathy spoke, so I won't hold it against her. What stood out the most to me was how Nichols was able to tell a captivating story without romanticizing or overly "Hollywooding" it up. There was nothing glitzy or glamourous about the film and I found that refreshing. 

This was a very interesting and raw film about the real-life motorcycle club called the Outlaws which is currently listed as an organized crime syndicate and boasts about 3,000 members worldwide with over 400 chapters spanning across over 40 countries. The Bikeriders is currently streaming on Peacock, and I recommend checking it out.