A Recap of The Movie ‘The Bikeriders’

Written by Michael Lee

*All Media used in this article is courtesy of Focus Features

Cast & Crew Interviews: ‘The Bikeriders’

‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 Official Trailer

Video via Focus Features

Plot Synopsis: ‘The Bikeriders’

Benny Cross, a member of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, is approached by two men in a bar who request that Benny take off his jacket, which is embellished in his motorcycle gang colors. Benny informs the men that they’ll have to kill him to take his jacket. One of them strikes Benny with a barstool only to throw him out of the bar. The two men beat Benny but Benny retaliates by slashing one of their faces with a pocket knife only for the other to hit the back of Benny’s head with a shovel.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘Colors’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

We then meet a photographer by the name of Danny Lyon, who is interviewing Kathy, Benny’s wife, at a local laundromat. Kathy informs Danny about when she first arrived in town and the party where she met Benny and the other members of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, which is led by a man named Johnny Davis. The other members playfully harass Kathy but Johnny tells her that Benny has taken to her. He invites her for a ride on the back of his bike while the other members tease the pair.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘How Many Lights’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

Benny brings Kathy to her home only to find Kathy’s husband sitting outside. He isn’t pleased that Kathy’s returned with another man and the couple fights. Benny, obsessed with Kathy, stands across the street from her home from night all the way into the morning, which upsets her husband even further. Upon returning home from work, he leaves Kathy. Five weeks later, Benny and Kathy are wed.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘I Don’t Like It’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

Kathy tells Danny about the other members of the gang, which include Big Jack, Wahoo, Corky, Cockroach, Cal, Zipxo, and Brucie. Johnny Davis, the leader, develops an idea to form a bigger motorcycle club, one that actually rides instead of sitting around talking about it. A young man only known as ‘The Kid’ witnesses the Vandals and aspires to join their ranks. The Kid’s home life is abusive, his mother has just kicked him out after he’s just attempted to kill his abusive father.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘Police Chase’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

Big Jack comes to Johnny with a proposition; other biker friends of theirs will open up a new chapter of the Vandal’s Motorcycle Gang in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Johnny denies this, but Big Jack challenges his decision and the two begin their fistfighting brawl. Jack nearly overcomes Johnny, but Johnny gains the upper hand by playing dirty and brings Big Jack to his knees after breaking his finger. Johnny informs the group that he wasn’t against the idea, he just needed to assert his dominance and most importantly, his authority within the group.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘Shootin’ The Breeze’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

Kathy tells Danny that Benny is incredibly loyal to his leader, Johnny. When a rival motorcycle gang goes to antagonize Johnny, Benny immediately jumps to Johnny’s defense, striking their leader, leading to a huge brawl between the two factions. It is here the film diverts from their 1973 interview to earlier in the Vandal’s history. It’s here where Kathy recounts Benny’s inability to show or express emotions and the closest she’d seen him to showing any kind of emotion was at the brawl at the beginning of the film where one of the men brought a shovel to Benny’s foot, almost severing it entirely, making him fear he’d neve ride again.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘Thinking’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

The Vandals arrive at the bar and threaten the bar owner to give them the names and addresses of the men who have just attacked Benny. Johnny orders the Vandals to burn the bar to the ground, the entire community watching in fear as the Vandal’s assert their dominance. The Kid arrives again with his small posse of other motorcycle buddies and beg Johnny to let them join the Vandals. Johnny denies their request and The Kid begins to get violent again, attempting to stab Johnny in the stomach but Johnny retaliates quickly. Later, the Vandals have a gang meeting around the local park and it is here where they meet Funny Sunny, who claims he was sent by his gang to beat the shit out of a kid named Cal since he deserted. But Sonny soon recognizes the Vandals as the superior gang and decides to join their ranks.

Film Clip: ‘The Bikeriders’ 2024 - ‘Were The Vandals’ ● Video Courtesy Focus Features

Kathy tells Danny how the gang became more and more violent as time went on, with Cockroach wanting to exit the gang in favor of becoming a cop. Johnny has three of the group’s younger members attack him. Johnny later brings Benny to Cockroach’s house, ordering Benny to bring a pistol. Johnny shoots Cockroach in the leg as a warning, exiling him from the group. Benny attempts to convey his disapproval of Jonny’s more violent nature, but is unsuccessful.

Austin Butler stars as Benny in director Jeff Nichols’ THE BIKERIDERS ● Bryan Schutmaat/Focus Features

The Vandals throw a party, in which Kathy sees a woman in a red dress. Kathy likes the dress well enough to comment on it, while Benny swipes the dress while the woman is fornicating with two other Vandal members. Kathy puts it on and enjoys the way she looks in it. However, two other bikers see Kathy and attempt to forcefully pull her upstairs, attempting to rape her but Johnny quickly intervenes. The men defend themselves, not knowing it was Kathy, figuring it was the other woman who wore the red dress previously. Kathy is upset with Benny for not defending her honor.

Tom Hardy stars as Johnny in director Jeff Nichols’ THE BIKERIDERS ● Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features

Again, The Kid attempts to challenge Johnny, this time for his leadership. Before he goes to engage The Kid, he stops by Benny’s home, but Kathy informs him he is not home. Johnny, along with the other Vandals, go to confront The Kid, but The Kid shoots Johnny in the chest, killing him instantly.

Austin Butler as Benny and Jodie Comer as Kathy in director Jeff Nichols’ THE BIKERIDERS ● Photo Credit: Focus Features

Kathy details to Danny that with Johnny dead, The Kid had finally taken over the Vandals, turning it into a much more violent affair of criminals who run drugs, prostitutes, and murder rival gang members. When Benny learns of Johnny’s murder, he cries in Kathy’s arms. Kathy tells Danny of the members fate and that Benny, shaken, never rode again after moving from Chicago. Kathy looks on at Benny and a friend as the two reminisce about the rev of a motorcycle. Benny notices Kathy looking and flashes her a quick smile as the screen fades to black.