A former “bikerider” claims that the film The Bikeriders, which stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy, depicts life in a motorcycle gang in the 1960s in an absolutely authentic manner.
The film by Jeff Nichols, which debuted to great praise from both reviewers and viewers, follows the fictional Vandals motorcycle club as they go from a bunch of bike enthusiasts to a legitimate gang.
With so many videos on YouTube with experts analyzing and responding to some of our favorite films, there has been a growing interest among moviegoers in factual realism. Fortunately for The Bikeriders, it receives the maximum rating.
Pat Matter, a former chapter head of the Hells Angels, spend 17 years in prison for his crimes and club membership. Matter recently examined the realism of several bike gang scenarios from TV shows and films in an interview with Insider.
Matter was all love for The Bikeriders, but had conflicting feelings about dramas like Sons of Anarchy.
Matter was shown a scene in which Tommy (Tom Hardy) orders his group to burn down the pub as payback for Benny’s (Austin Butler) attack at the establishment. Matter gave the scene a 10/10 for authenticity, even though it seems a bit too extreme in comparison to reality. He stated, “The Hells Henchmen were a potential chapter that the Minnesota Hells Angels sponsored in 1994.
They had a clubhouse located in Chicago. The Outlaws are from there, thus it makes sense that they were offended by another club’s desire to become a Hells Angels affiliate.
Just outside the clubhouse, a car was bombed, and it was, I think, the third-largest bomb ever detonated on American territory.” Matter continued by saying:
Based on a best-selling photography book by Danny Lyon, Jeff Nichols explores outlaw culture, fraternity, and masculinity in a slow-burning manner.
Throughout the 1960s, Lyon took pictures of the genuine Outlaws Motorcycle Club, which was the main competitor of the Hells Angels.
He focused on the people who joined the gang and how its influence and power grew out of hand. Every character in Nichols’ movie is based on people that Lyon spoke with and took pictures of.
The Bikeriders’ treatment of their source material is remarkably original and meta. The story of the film is centered on Danny Lyons’ personal research, in addition to being based on his book. I
n the film, Mike Faist portrays Danny Lyon, who journeys alongside the Vandals to document both their pinnacles and low points. The story of the movie is recounted from the viewpoint of Cathy (Jodie Comer), who provides Danny with several interviews in which she divulges the club’s past.
