Jeff Nichols is one of the more underrated directors working right now, but he has a chance to grow his audience with The Bikeriders, which features a star-studded cast including Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy and more in what is expected to be an awards contender at the end of the year.
The Bikeriders premiered at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, where it garnered its first bit of buzz, though some business complications have pushed it to officially be a 2024 new movie.
We've got everything you need to know about that and the movie in general, including release date, cast and plot, all in one place right here.
The Bikeriders release date
The Bikeriders are back on the road to a big screen premiere, with Focus Features announcing the movie will premiere on June 21, 2024.
This comes after the movie had previously been set up at 20th Century Studios and expected to debut in 2023, but was pulled from the release calendar. Focus Features then opted to take on the Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer movie and have given it a summer slot.
The Bikeriders plot
The Bikeriders is a different kind of adaptation. Rather than taking its story from a novel, the movie is based on a book of photography by Danny Lyon that features interviews with members of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
Here is the official synopsis for the movie:
"The Bikeriders captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club."
The Bikeriders cast
The motorcycle club at the center of The Bikeriders features one heck of a membership, as a number of top-tier stars appear in the movie. It is all led by the trio of Austin Butler, coming off his Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Elvis, Jodie Comer, the Killing Eve star who also earned rave reviews for The Last Duel, and Tom Hardy, a fan-favorite star of Venom, Mad Max: Fury Road and Oscar-nominee for The Revenant.
But they are not alone. Some of the other big names in the cast include Boyd Holbrook (Justified: City Primeval), Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon) and Michael Shannon, who has worked with Jeff Nichols on many of his previous movies, including Take Shelter, Midnight Special and Loving.
Some other actors set to appear in The Bikeriders, per IMDb, are Mike Faise (West Side Story), Emory Cohen (Florida Man) and Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire).
The Bikeriders reviews
After premiering at the Telluride Film Festival, The Bikeriders earned itself a solid bit of buzz. As we approach the movie's wide release, Rotten Tomatoes currently (as of June 13) scores the movie at a 84% "Fresh."
WTW will have its own review on The Bikeriders in the near future, but in the meantime here is what others are saying about the movie:
Pete Hammond, Deadline: "Nichols has dealt with the complexities of what makes men tick... and here presents a, yes, violent, but oddly poignant picture that fits right in with what motivates him as a sharp chronicler of who we were and what we become."
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: "A striking memory piece."
Peter Debruge, Variety: "It goes a long way to humanize figures who’ve been long misrepresented on film, while giving audiences privileged access to this inner world."
The Bikeriders trailer
The official trailer for The Bikeriders officially debuted when 20th Century Studios was still behind it, but Focus Features has come in an released a trailer with its own branding. It's pretty much the same trailer, but it's worth watching to get a preview of the performances due to come from Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. Watch it directly below:
A new trailer for the movie is now available, which you can watch right here:
You can also check out some clips from the movie right here:
Jeff Nichols movies
Here is the complete feature film resume for Jeff Nichols:
- Shotgun Stories (2007)
- Take Shelter (2011)
- Mud (2012)
- Midnight Special (2016)
- Loving (2016)
