Jakarta. “The Bikeriders” -- directed by Jeff Nichols -- follows the story of an American motorcycle club, but despite being shown almost two hours long of this "close-knit club", I personally cannot feel the camaraderie between the bikers on screen.

Set in the 1960s, “The Bikeriders” tells about the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club. The group starts small with the charismatic leader Johnny (Tom Hardy) and the enigmatic Benny (Austin Butler), alongside some other guys. The movie mainly uses Kathy (Jodie Comer) -- Benny’s wife -- as the narrator. Speaking to photographer Danny Lyon (Mike Faist), Kathy tells the story of how the group gets together before it turns into a sinister gang as newcomers join. 

Despite being called “The Bikeriders”, the movie surprisingly does not have many scenes of the Vandals being on the road -- as seen in the recent movie screening.

The story mostly takes place off-road and on picnics, as if Nichols wishes to focus on the behind-the-scenes of these riders. We see individual snapshots of the members and why they chose the motor gang life. They are all a bunch of misfits who share the same passion for motorcycles. There are moments when the club -- mostly Johnny -- tries to show the audience that one should not abandon their friends. For instance, Benny gets attacked after refusing to take the Vandals jacket in a club -- an incident that nearly gets his leg amputated. Johnny and the rest of the crew then set the bar on fire to avenge Benny. 

It is only later before the newcomers turn the Vandals into a violent group. So there should have been enough time for Nichols to build the bond between the band’s original members. This should have also been a great chance for “The Bikeriders” to make the viewers care about the characters. Unfortunately, the movie fails to do so.

So on supposedly heart-crushing scenes such as when Johnny gets shot, his death -- despite being quite likable and also a major character -- does not feel as impactful. Not long after Johnny’s death, we get to see Benny crying his heart out (props to Butler for pulling out a very realistic on-screen cry). But I just could not sympathize with Benny although he had just lost his mentor and brother figure. And that’s because the movie feels like a boring motorcycle ride. It feels like a string of events, nothing more.

But this does not mean that there is nothing positive to say about “The Bikeriders”. Hardy’s performance as Johnny appears natural. Comer’s Kathy makes a charming storyteller. Butler also did a great job at his on-screen cry, although his character does not let him express much emotion in most part of the movie.

“The Bikeriders” is set to hit Indonesian theaters on June 21.

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