The Bikeriders

Bikeriding culture has always been important and vital in American culture. Well, Jeff Nichols inspired by Danny Lyon's photo book titled "The Bikeriders" made a film about that culture, and let me tell you one thing: It was so freaking cool! "The Bikeriders" follows  a Midwestern motorcycle club that evolves from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life, over the course of a decade,

What makes this film quite interesting to me is how it approaches storytelling and while I think this kind of documentary/narration style was insignificant, it still made for an enjoyable watch. What was special about it was how it does not offer traditional storytelling but rather heavily explores themes of brotherhood, masculinity, ego, and more. It may 'feel' empty but trust me it does not thanks to the solid direction. On that thought, I must praise Nichols's excellent direction here. There's a lot to be appreciated here and I can't help but admire the love that Nichols put into this film. Furthermore, I liked the eccentric and funny characters introduced to us. Tom Hardy's character who takes inspiration a lot from Marlon Brando especially stole the show for me. It was interesting to see how that shaped Johnny's character and influenced his life. 

Last but not least, I must praise Adam Stone's jaw-dropping cinematography. This film is aesthetically beautiful and every frame felt marvelous. It was a feast to my eyes, to say the least! Moreover, I must praise the performances here! Everyone and I mean every single cast member did a great job at bringing their characters to life. The standouts for me were Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Norman Reedus's performances here! Lastly, I must discuss some of the negatives here. Firstly, I wished the story felt more emotional and better in a way. Secondly, I also wish that the film explored the club a bit more and dove deeper into their traditions. It's the little things that add flavor to the story and the film was sadly missing that. Despite some issues along the way, "The Bikeriders" remains a fun, entertaining, and cool film about bike riding culture!