The Bikeriders

This intimate depiction of a Chicago motorcycle club meditates on associational culture, the social changes of the 1960s, and how gender and generation shape relationships and the life-course.

Benny (Austin Butler) and Kathy (Jodie Comer) in The Bikeriders (Universal Pictures).

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This post is part of the regular ‘One Take’ series analysing the politics of a film currently showing at the cinemas.

Content warning: Alcohol; Narcotics.

Note: Given that, at time of writing, The Bikeriders is still showing in UK cinemas, this analysis only lays out as much of the film’s scenario as is necessary so as to avoid spoilers. It is therefore suitable to be read either before or after watching the film, while hopefully still enriching the viewer’s appreciation of it either way.