‘The Bikeriders’ Reaction …

Test screenings for Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” happened in March. Nichols then mentioned that him and his team were continuing to edit the film in Austin, TX. There were no screenings since March until this past week in Dallas.

This Dallas one has got to be one of the very last screenings before they announce a release date or give us a trailer. It definitely looks as though they have a completed version.

Here’s a reaction I gathered from a longtime reader who has been very accurate in his past assessments on films:

Went to the “Bikeriders” screening and it was a good film. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Jeff Nichols bikerider gang movie. Very classicist filmmaking that just works well. All three leads Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer did a phenomenal job. Comer’s Midwest accent could definitely be distracting for some, I though she was great. This could however be an Oscar vehicle for Tom Hardy, he plays the leader of the gang and is in full-on alpha mode here. The film was beautifully shot and the story is fairly straightforward and, dare I say, conventional. The score incorporated a lot of 50s rock and roll, it’s just part of the vibe it was going for. I got a lot of “The Outsiders” vibes from this movie, in fact I’d be shocked if it wasn’t a major influence on Nichols. There’s a lot of gangly brotherhood stuff just like in “The Outsiders.” Austin Butler doesn’t have many lines, he’s the quiet one, but it’s a much bigger role than I expected. Mike Faist plays a journalist that interviews the members of the bike gang throughout the film.

It is odd that this film didn’t appear at the Cannes Film Festival. Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux said that the film was not ready on time. It seems as though Nichols went back to the editing room instead.

I mean, even the original production sheet, which I’ve seen firsthand, has a post-production process officially ending on May 15th, a day before Cannes began.

Nichols wrapped shooting “The Bikeriders” in Ohio last November. According to a Reddit post from a few months ago, the film had been test-screened on March 2nd, and looked ready, here’s their posted reaction:

I went to a test screening last night and it seemed like 90% finished. So I’m surprised at this [Deadline] article. At the screening we were told some of the sound isn’t finished mixing and some of the score was temporary. It was a pretty good movie! Really well made, and there’s just enough humor and gritty violence to accompany a screenplay that we’ve more or less seen before. Not a bad thing, though! Everyone in the film was great.

I wasn’t underwhelmed, overall had a great time. And maybe it wasn’t trying to be something really unique? After all, it is based off a book. It’s familiar, but in a good way. These days you just have to make a well crafted film that captures your attention for the whole runtime (which this did) to get some form of critical acclaim. I think the movie will do well with critics and some audiences. As for reshoots, not super necessary. I would maybe add or replace scenes with certain characters to get more of an impact at the end of the film. Expect an “R” rating as well. Mostly for language and violence.

It’s still a good 4 star movie. And just given the way that the Oscars have played out the last few years…I’d still expect this film to be in contention at some point in the race. I could see Jodie Comer and possibly Butler and Tom Hardy sneaking in…but I doubt it given there’s tons of films coming out this year with probably powerhouse lead performances. In regards to the R rating….no nudity or sex. But Butler and Comer have good chemistry for what their relationship is.

They go on to mention that this is a very good addition to Austin Butler’s filmography. He’s not necessarily the lead but shares equal screentime with Hardy.

There’s also comparisons to the raw grittiness and vibes of “The Place Beyond the Pines,” an authenticity that Nichols is very much known for.

The film is said to be a fictional story inspired by the photography of Danny Lyon and his 1967 book The Bikeriders. If you’ve been following Nichols over the years then you know he’s been trying very hard to get this passion project greenlit.

“The Bikeriders” is set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional, midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a full-out gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

It’s been 5 years since “Loving.” Nichols is coming off the longest break of his career. His filmography includes “Take Shelter,” “Mud,” and “Midnight Special.”