THE BIKERIDERS offers an honest look into the real lives of people from the first era of motorcycle clubs — GeekTyrant

I had the opportunity to see a screening of The Bikers this week ahead of its wide release this weekend, and the film was a beautiful, true snapshot of an era that came and went 50 years ago.

The film had the feel of a documentary, complete with a narrator who captured everything in essence. The film is based on the book The Bikers by the photographer Danny Lyonwho was a member of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club from 1963 to 1967.

He published his photo book in 1968, and the actor who portrayed him, Mike Faistappeared throughout the film, capturing photographs and audio recordings of the group’s history from its founding to its development.

Tom HardyJohnny was an everyman who was inspired by a movie character who embodied cool. He was a trucker who saw himself as just a husband and father before deciding to start his own club where he was respected and could provide a place for other men in his community to be recognized.

Austin ButlerBenny was a hot-headed young man who had nothing to lose before he realized there was something worth living for. And Jodie ComerKathy was the film’s witty narrator who didn’t mince her words and wore her heart on her sleeve.

Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Emory Cohen, Norman ReedusAnd Toby Wallace Each of them was given a moment to shine in the film, opening the door a little to their pain before moving on to the next scene. Not a moment was wasted in the telling of this story, and the audience was transported back to this place in time so completely that the whole story was told and nothing was left unsaid.

I was overwhelmed by Jeff NicholsThe author’s ability to capture these people in photographs and recordings, filling every gap in their lives as if they had emerged from the pages to tell their stories themselves.

The audience laughed together, held their breath and gasped when the violence or the twist of the story shocked us. It was a great film and we had a lot of fun in the cinema.