Calling all Tom Hardy fans! If you’ve already binged your way through his hit Paramount+ gangster show MobLand and are on the hunt for something similar, look no further than The Bikeriders.
Originally released in 2023, the 1960s-set crime drama sees Tom play biker Johnny, who dips into the same murky world of organised crime as the leader of the Chicago-based Vandals Motorcycle Club.
However, unlike Harry in MobLand, Johnny ultimately calls the shots as he navigates the changing dynamics of the gang, which has just welcomed newcomer Benny (Austin Butler).
Directed by Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders also stars Jodie Comer and Mike Faist, and is sure to satisfy if you have a Tom Hardy-shaped hole in your viewing schedule this week.
Speaking of Tom’s performance, HELLO!’s Acting TV Editor Nicky Morris said: “Tom Hardy is no stranger to playing intimidating characters, having portrayed supervillain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and gangster Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders. He delivers another compelling performance in The Bikeriders, and his commanding presence elevates each and every scene he’s in.”
Intrigued? Keep reading for everything you need to know about The Bikeriders, which is now streaming on Prime Video.
What is The Bikeriders about?
Inspired by American photographer Danny Lyon’s book of photography, The Bikeriders captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing.
The synopsis reads: “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).
© Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features“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.”
Who stars in The Bikeriders?
Alongside Tom, Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Help) stars as Kathy, while Austin Butler (Elvis, Caught Stealing) plays Benny and Michael Shannon (Bullet Train, Knives Out) is Zipco.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThey’re joined by Mike Faist (Challengers) as Danny and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) as Funny Sonny.
What did critics say about The Bikeriders?
The movie earned a respectable 79 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian penning in its five-star review: “Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are magnetic in this power struggle-cum-love triangle inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photographic study of Chicago bikers.”
Meanwhile, The i wrote: “Nichols shows us that even when it all goes sour, the excitement of this ridiculous and aggressive world is catnip to the born outsider. With all its panache, The Bikeriders is the kind of ride that you don’t want to get off.”
© GettyThe Independent added: “With The Bikeriders, Nichols complicates what might have otherwise been a romanticised ode to a subculture by transforming it into a true American tragedy.”
The Bikeriders is available to watch on Prime Video.
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