Review: The Bikeriders

Image courtesy of Focus Features.

Jeff Nichols' first feature in eight years, "The Bikeriders," could best be described as "Goodfellas" but within the confines of a 1960s biker gang. In this case, the figure at the center of the action is the wife (Jodie Comer) of the gang member (Austin Butler), whose narration takes place during a number of interviews with a writer (Mike Feist) who's penning a book on the biker gang.

Taking cues from Danny Lyons' book of the same name, Nichols' film seeks to evoke an era and an aura and does a fine job of blending the "Goodfellas" style and type of narrative - initiation rite into an exclusive club, freeze frames, needle drops, bursts of violence out of nowhere, voice-over narration - with a biker gang movie.

Although the film bills Austin Butler as the lead, his character is more of a cypher. While one could argue that his Benny, a good looking but soft spoken and fearsome biker, is underdeveloped, his blank slate of a character works in the context of the picture, in which Comer's Kathy tries and fails to figure her spouse out. Comer in many ways carries the film and is its most interesting character. Tom Hardy also impresses as a truck driver who founded the gang and eventually sees it slip out of his control.

There are a number of solid supporting performances as well, including Michael Shannon (a Nichols favorite) playing some odd version of himself in which he pines about missing his chance to serve in Vietnam and a creepy and virtually unrecognizable Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny, a biker from California who joins up with the Chicago-based gang.

Nichols has made films that are more substantive, most notably the incredible "Take Shelter" and the historical biopic "Loving." His latest film is a little more on the surface, but it's one that's exciting, well acted, and engrossing. We don't learn much about life in a biker gang that couldn't already be gleaned from numerous other films on the subject or Hunter S. Thompson's terrific "Hell's Angels" book.

The film's early scenes depict what is obviously seen as the halcyon days of biker clubs as Hardy's Johnny grows the club and its members spend their days at drunken picnics or riding through towns, catching the fearful glances of passersby. There's plenty of violence in these early scenes, especially Benny's run-in with two guys at a bar who want him to take off his jacket, but it's not until later in the film - when the gang begins dabbling in drugs and more dangerous types begin to populate its ranks - that it takes a darker turn.

Unlike "Take Shelter" or "Loving," there isn't much in the way of greater thematic relevance under the surface of "The Bikeriders." It's a polished, shiny surface, and an engaging one filled with solid performances, a lot of stylish sequences set to iconic music, and some understated humor. It may not rank with the director's best work, but it's a good piece of entertainment.