The production is based on “The Bikeriders,” a photo book published in 1967 by photographer Danny Lyon after he spent time with members of a Midwestern American motorcycle club and recorded their testimonies. Jeff Nichols found inspiration in those images and interviews to build his own story, bringing the community’s atmosphere, aesthetic and personal relationships to the screen.
SYNOPSIS OF “THE BIKERIDERS”
“The Bikeriders” begins when Kathy (Jodie Comer) meets Benny (Austin Butler), one of the most charismatic members of the Vandals, a motorcycle club led by Johnny (Tom Hardy). Their relationship draws her into a community with its own codes and loyalties, united by its passion for motorcycles and rebellious spirit, which nevertheless changes and deteriorates over the years.
As Kathy tries to find her place alongside Benny, the Vandals leave behind their identity as a meeting place for local motorcyclists and outsiders and gradually become an organization ruled by brutality and crime. The club’s transformation tests the relationships among its members and forces Benny to face a difficult choice between his life with his partner and the loyalty he feels toward Johnny and the group.
The film reconstructs events through an interview that Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) conducts with Kathy years later, as she becomes the narrator of her own story. It uses jumps forward and backward in time to show the protagonists’ evolution and, above all, the transformation the club undergoes during that period.
WHERE TO WATCH “THE BIKERIDERS”
Jeff Nichols’ film is currently available to stream on Prime Video. This makes it possible to discover the title starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, which went unnoticed upon its theatrical release but has nevertheless become a major reference in its genre over the years.
The club’s transformation forces Benny to face a difficult choice. Photo: Prime Video
Beyond the motorcycles and leather jackets, “The Bikeriders” offers a portrait of identity, freedom and the relationships built within a community with its own rules and loyalties. This Prime Video film shows how what begins as a place of belonging can ultimately take a completely different path toward violence and crime.
