Tom Hardy’s ‘The Bikeriders’ Is a Streaming hit Again on Max

Tom Hardy and “crime” are two movie tags that fit together perfectly. Across his increasingly impressive career, Hardy has starred in a multitude of crime dramas, including Peaky Blinders, Legend, Bronson, RocknRolla, and even Inception. One of his most recent crime flicks took Hardy back to the 1960s as the founder of an up-and-coming biker club in Chicago. That film is Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, and it’s currently a massive hit on streaming,

At the time of writing, The Bikeriders is the most popular movie on Max this week. Alongside Hardy, the film also stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, and Norman Reedus, and was based on the real The Bikeriders photography book by Danny Lyon (who is played by Faist in the film). The Bikeriders followed the Vandals (based on the real Outlaws Motorcycle Club) from their humble beginnings as a group of petrol heads to a full-on gang. The story is told through the eyes of Kathy (Comer) with her interviews with Lyon acting as voice over for the events depicted on screen. The synopsis reads:

“After a chance encounter, headstrong Kathy is drawn to Benny, member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals. As the club transforms into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny must choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.”

The Bikeriders was a hit with critics when it was released in 2023. It sits at a strong 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also enjoyed the movie, with The Bikeriders holding a 74% audience rating. Despite decent reviews (MovieWeb rated it 4/5), The Bikeriders failed to land at the box office. The film grossed just $35 million during its theatrical run. Thankfully, the film’s engines have roared a second time on streaming, as the film is finally getting the love it deserves.

‘The Bikeriders’ Scores 10/10 for Realism

As well as being an enthralling film, exploring the moral rise and fall of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, The Bikeriders is also a very realistic depiction of biker culture. Pat Matter, a former Hells Angels chapter leader, was shown a clip from the film and asked to assess it for realism. He scored the scene a flawless 10/10. Not only was the scene realistic, the scenario on-screen had actually happened to someone he knew. Matter wrote:

“There was a bomb placed in a car right outside the clubhouse, and I believe it was the third-biggest bomb in history on United States soil. One of my members from Minnesota was down there, and I was worried about him being… and I remember this very well. So I called down to find out if he was okay, and he was. And nobody got hurt on this, but it was quite a big deal. This one would be a 10 [out of 10], because it’s happened. I mean I’ve witnessed it personally.”

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The Bikeriders currently streaming on Max. While it does not have the overblown, cinematic visuals of some of Hardy’s other great crime classics, The Bikeriders is absolutely worth spending a little time on.

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