Based on the 1968 photo-book of the same name by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders centers centers on Jodie Comer’s (“Killing Eve,” “The Last Duel”) Kathy who marries a wild and reckless bike rider Benny (Austin Butler), and recounts the evolution of the Vandals bike gang. Led by Johnny (Tom Hardy), the Vandals start out as a small-town gang united by good times and a passion for motorcycles, but they soon becomes something more dangerous as they delve into various crimes like drug deals and prostitution. Now Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.
“The Bikeriders” was recently screened at the Telluride Film Festival, where it was met with critical acclaim.
Sheri Linden of the Hollywood Reporter comments, “From beginning to end, the visual beauty of the film pays tribute to the source material….” The Playlist’s Gregory Ellwood writes, “Nichols has crafted a highly entertaining period piece on a legendary biker club that is at times sexy, funny, and filled with fisticuffs.” Matt Neglia, reporting for Next Best Picture, offers, “‘The Bikeriders’ is an evocative and masculine piece of storytelling.”
Michael Shannon (“Bullet Train”), Mike Faist (“West Side Story”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”) and Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”) also star.
“The Bikeriders” arrives in theaters on December 1, 2023.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for “The Bikeriders:”
“The Bikeriders” is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members. Inspired by Danny Lyon’s iconic book of photography, “The Bikeriders” immerses you in the look, feel, and sounds of the bare-knuckled, grease-covered subculture of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.
