Bikeriders... take two

I went to see Jeff Nichols' film 'The Bikeriders' at the cinema when it came out and enjoyed it. But I wasn't overly impressed; I thought Austin Butler just wasn't convincing enough as Benny. He has a touch of the young DiCaprio about him – I could never believe Leo as a dangerous character either; too pretty and studied. You can read David Snow's review of the film in our long-sold-out issue 100, if you can find a copy!

The movie, as if you didn't know, is based on Danny Lyon's photographs of the Chicago Outlaws, who he rode with in the mid-1960s. They appeared in his book 'The Bikeriders' in 1969. The film is now free to stream (in the UK) on NOW, so I decided to watch it again. I surprised myself by enjoying it even more the second time.

Why? On a second viewing I was able to savour again how beautifully shot it is: every scene is lit and framed to perfection. My appreciation of Jodie Comer's acting was also reinforced: she plays Kathy faithfully and subtly. Other cast members who seemed particularly convincing included Michael Shannon as Zipco and Damon Herriman as Brucie. The production design is great too; every detail, from the clothes to the sets, is spot-on.

I found Austin Butler a little less irritating this time round; but he's still too artfully tousled for this role in my opinion. Smoking cigarettes continuously doesn't make an outlaw biker. The bikes, too, seem a little too polished.

But if you haven't seen the film, you won't regret catching it now; it's lovingly made and has some enjoyable scenes in it. It even makes riding old motorcycles look like fun!