The Vandals are more than their slicked back hair, leather jackets, polished motorcycles, or tough exteriors, they’re a family — or at least that’s what they intended to be. Adapted from Danny Lyon’s photo-book of the same name, The Bikeriders chronicles a motorcycle club’s evolution from a safe haven for outsiders into a breeding ground for violence. When tensions rise, a young and reckless Benny (Austin Butler) must choose between love and loyalty.
Ahead of the film’s release, Butler, his co-stars Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, and writer-director Jeff Nichols sat down with RT correspondent Nikki Novak to talk about The Bikeriders. The cast discuss meet-cutes, tattoos, bike riding, the influences behind their characters, and much more.
Nikki Novak for Rotten Tomatoes: I want to talk about that first scene between the two of you. You look at him and you decide to get on that bike. You see him in the bar, and then you see her and you’re just like, “Want to go on my bike?” I want to know, for you as actors, what is he thinking — what is she thinking in that moment, and what was it like creating that moment on set between the two of you?
Jodie Comer: I think for Kathy, there was an instant of “Oh my God, who’s this guy?” But then, you know, that feeling was somewhat overshadowed by her meeting [Tom Hardy’s] Johnny and all these men being incredibly boisterous, which intimidated her. She left, and then they encouraged her to join them, pushing her to do this thing. I think she’s very glad she got on the bike, but that moment is quite complex. She’s thinking, “Who is this guy?” He’s such an enigma and a mystery, and he seems so sure of who he is, not needing anything else. I think that’s what makes her lean in.
Austin Butler: I don’t want to give away what I was thinking in those moments, but it’s when you look somebody in the eyes, thinking so much, wondering if they can read your mind, studying their face.
Watch the video for the full interview with Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and director Jeff Nichols.
The Bikeriders
(2023)
premieres in theatres on June 21, 2024.
