Austin Butler stars in a scene from the movie “The Bikeriders.” (OSV News photo/courtesy Focus Features)
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NEW YORK (OSV News) -- Raw mayhem fuels "The Bikeriders" (Focus), a fact-based drama about the rise and fall of a Chicago motorcycle gang over the 1960s and early 70s. Accordingly, only those prepared to take on challenging material should patronize this well-crafted but roisterous production.
Writer-director Jeff Nichols' adaptation of photojournalist Danny Lyon's book takes viewers inside the world of the Vandals, a fictional version of the real-life Outlaws, which Lyons joined in 1963. Entree to this unstable milieu is provided by interviews Lyons' on screen counterpart (Mike Faist) conducts with a woman member, Kathy (Jodie Comer).
As she recounts, her first contact with the Vandals was accidental and her initial reaction to their characteristic rowdiness was discomfort. But then Kathy spotted her future husband, Benny (Austin Butler), and it was love at first sight.
Bound to the club through her marriage, yet wary of the Vandals' thrill-seeking, sensible Kathy serves as a witness to the band's gradual deterioration. As Johnny (Tom Hardy), its quietly charismatic founding leader, loses his grip on power, outsiders increasingly intrude, eventually transforming the Vandals from a refuge for misfits to a ruthless criminal enterprise.
Comer gives a memorable performance in the role of a fundamentally decent person whose limited cultural background is offset by keen observation and a deep reservoir of common sense. In her determination to save Benny from being lost in the Vandals' downward spiral, she uses her robust emotional power to battle Johnny for control of her spouse's destiny.
With Kathy serving as its guiding spirit, the movie's moral compass remains steady. Yet its depiction of a gritty subculture in which harsh brawling is a favorite pastime makes "The Bikeriders" an exacting experience even for grown-ups.
The film contains much graphic violence, including attempted rape, drug use, cohabitation, several uses of profanity, a few milder oaths, pervasive rough language and frequent crude and crass talk. The OSV News classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - -CAPSULE REVIEW"The Bikeriders" (Focus)Raw mayhem fuels this fact-based drama about the rise and fall of a Chicago motorcycle gang over the 1960s and early 70s. In adapting photojournalist Danny Lyon’s book, writer-director Jeff Nichols uses interviews a fictional version of the author (Mike Faist) conducts with the wife (Jodie Comer in a memorable performance) of one of the group's members (Austin Butler) to chronicle how its quietly charismatic founding leader (Tom Hardy) lost control of the club as it degenerated from a band of thrill-seeking misfits to a ruthless criminal enterprise. While the film's moral compass remains steady, its depiction of a gritty subculture in which harsh brawling is a favorite pastime constitutes challenging material even for grown-ups. Much graphic violence, including attempted rape, drug use, cohabitation, several uses of profanity, a few milder oaths, pervasive rough language, frequent crude and crass talk. The OSV News classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - -CLASSIFICATION"The Bikeriders" (Focus) – OSV News classification, L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Motion Picture Association rating, R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.- - - John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.