Hard to believe it’s been seven years since Jeff Nichols gave his fans the gift of two movies in a single year: Midnight Special and Loving, no finer example of how diverse his creative abilities are. Now Nichols returns with another movie that is unlike anything he’s done before, The Bikeriders, a star-studded drama about 1960s motorcycle culture.
Oscar-nominated Elvis star Austin Butler is ridin’ free in our first look at The Bikeriders. Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus, Beau Knapp, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, and Karl Glusman are also in the cast.
Here’s the synopsis: 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.
Nichols wrote and directed The Bikeriders, which opens on November 1st.
