THE BIKERIDERS

The open road can be such a freeing experience, one can imagine even more so when part of a motorcycle club both feared and respected around the region. Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders takes you right into the heart of the Vandals, a club from the 1960s, who lived a life by code even with time running against what their way of life.

Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who is married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin 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 (Tom Hardy).

Jeff Nichols soulful writing and directing taps into the brotherhood, respect and love from within the motorcycle club. The story isn't that deep but it doesn't need to be, some films feeling like you can just vibe to them, The Bikeriders having the qualities of a perfect future hangout movie encapsulated by a soundtrack of old school rock music. That's not to say there isn't any substance to this because Nichols explores the nature of men facing the thing they love in life slowly but surely coming to an end.

It's a lost legacy explored through an array of situations the club find themselves in, escalating in danger and aggression the further time goes by. The sound of motorbikes roraring in unison changing from something quite majestic when Kathy first sees them all together to the sound of pending violence later on in the film is a nice touch from Nichols.

The ensemble cast ensure the film isn't let down by its performances, Jodie Comer in particular providing the film with an emotional heartbeat that doesn't get lost in all the machismo. Austin Butler's Benny faces an internal struggle over taking the reins of the club or living out his life with his wife, and Butler excels in portraying this, effortlessly cool in just about everything he does. There was a worry about Tom Hardy's accent for this film however, it's absolutely fine and Hardy manages to capture the nature of a man losing his grip on a world he used to run so well. Look out for entertain supporting roles for Michael Shannon and Norman Reedus as well.

The Bikeriders is Jeff Nichols at his most confident, a filmmaker just vibing with a strong ensemble cast to create something I can happily see myself revisiting a number of times in the future. It's like Nichols mashed both a light-hearted Sons of Anarchy and Goodfellas together for our entertainment.

Verdict: ★★★★