Austin Butler, Tom Hardy shine in 'Bikeriders,' but Jodie Comer is star of Cincy-shot film

Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for the film, "The Bikeriders."

Aggressive engine revs, toxically masculine fight scenes and branded leather vests aside, "The Bikeriders" shows audiences that identity and community are often formed in the most dangerous spaces.

"The Bikeriders," partially filmed in Cincinnati and starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer, is a raw and uncompromising look at the rise and fall of a fictionalized Midwestern motorcycle club called the Vandals. The Jeff Nichols-directed film is inspired by photographer/videographer Danny Lyon's 1968 photo book of the same title.

Lyon's book includes portraits and personal vignettes from members of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, one of the oldest biker clubs in the world. It also serves as historical reference material for Nichol's honest and empathetic adaptation.

More 'Bikeriders': Austin Butler talks 'delicious' Skyline Chili, riding go-carts while filming in Cincy

'The Bikeriders,' in a way, served as a memoir

Set in the 1960s, the film follows the Vandals, a vigilante group founded by Hardy's character Johnny. Johnny is a truck driver who grows bored with his middle-class life and decides to start a racing club for like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts, an idea he gets from watching Marlon Brando's "Wild Ones."

Over a decade, we see the Vandals transform from a small Chicago motorcycle club full of average joes to a nationally syndicated criminal organization, despite Johnny's futile efforts to maintain the crew's original mission: brotherhood.

However, the film not only traces the history of the notorious biker gang but is also memoiric, highlighting a brief yet pivotal moment in Lyon's life when he embarks on a journey to study a group within our society's fringes.

Lyon's character, Danny, played by Mike Faist, spends several years riding with the club, interviewing and photographing various members, including the film's narrator, Kathy, played by Comer. Although Danny utters only a few lines, his character is felt and seen throughout "The Bikeriders" as an outsider amongst outsiders.

His point of view sets the backdrop for the 1-hour, 56-minute movie. Through his physical and metaphorical lens, viewers can peer into the Vandals' violent underworld. Comer's nasally southside Chicago accent guides viewers on their ride with the counter-cultural subgroup as they cultivate a sense of identity and community during a time marred by social and political unrest.

Austin Butler can't shake 'Elvis,' but it's OK

"The Bikeriders" opens with Kathy recounting her relationship with hot-headed club member Benny, played by Butler, who can't seem to shake his rock and roll persona from the 2022 film "Elvis." Fortunately, it works for this role because Benny and Elvis share a desire for freedom.

Kathy tells Danny she married Benny when she was 19 after he intimidated her boyfriend at the time by loitering outside her home on his chopper.

Given Butler's good looks and Benny's brooding demeanor and penchant for living on the edge, it's no wonder Kathy fell for him. Benny, our enigmatic protagonist, may seem like just another angsty bad boy. But you soon realize, like Elvis, a deep loneliness and unpredictability is simmering beneath the surface.

Between his audacious power play with Kathy's boyfriend and his joy ride through the Greater Cincinnati cornfields (cue possible shots of the Purple People and Taylor Southgate bridges), it's clear Benny is the biggest wild card in the group. He drives where he wants, throwing caution and valid IDs to the wind. He fights who he wants, even if he has to nearly amputate his leg after a bar-room brawl. He disappears when he wants, sometimes abandoning his loved ones.

At first, you think it's Kathy, the club, or his homoerotic relationship with its founder that he cares most about. But what Benny truly seeks is freedom. As he states, "I don't ask nothing from nobody," and expects the same in return.

Yet he finds himself caught in a pseudo-love triangle with Kathy and Johnny, who project their expectations onto the thrill-seeker.

Johnny wants Benny to be his protege, taking the mysterious young biker under his leather chap, eventually training him to become the Vandal's next leader. But Kathy wants Benny to leave behind the rebel lifestyle out of fear for what will happen to them or who they will become under the gang's foothold.

Jodie Comer's character is the real star of 'The Bikeriders'

Unlike the rest of the Vandals, Lyon never interviews Benny. Instead, his story is recounted by Kathy, the voice of reason in the group and the film's real star. Kathy is a strong-willed, independent woman who speaks with disdain, resentment and nostalgia toward the club. Even though she is not a bike rider, Kathy confidently asserts herself in the male-dominated pack that will only ever see her as Benny's "old lady."

Kathy provides a necessary vulnerability missing amongst the rough and rowdy men, reminding viewers women exist in the biker space and often fall victim to the activities of their male counterparts.

Giving a group of misfits a place to belong

Through Lyon's interviews, we also learn a bit about the backgrounds of the other vagabonds, catching glimpses of what led them to the club.

Michael Shannon's character Zipco talks about how he felt rejected by the American government because he never made the Vietnam War draft. The eccentric Funny Sonny, played by Norman Reedus, is a hardcore biker from California who falls in with the Vandals because he likes their vibe. Then there's The Kid, played by Toby Wallace, a neighborhood punk who dreams of riding with the Vandals to escape his abusive family.

Each character is running from a place where they don't belong, toward a group that promises loyalty and kinship.

However, as the years pass by and the organization expands, so do the motivations of the group. What started as a gathering place for outsiders quickly turns sinister as new members climb the ranks. The lust for power and profit outweighing what brought them together.

Although I have zero affiliation with motorcycle culture – I can't even ride a traditional bicycle – I was entranced by the Vandals' stories and saddened by their losses. The Vandals are not good people. They're seedy rule breakers who paved the way for the dangerous criminals seen in FX's "Sons of Anarchy."

Still, I found myself drawn to them, shedding a tear for every curveball life threw their way. I empathized with their desperation to fit in and stand out. They're contrarians, hiding behind the anonymity of the Vandals' tag and uniform. But through the rev of their engines, they also demand to be seen, respected and feared.

Ultimately, "The Bikeriders" created a space for themselves when the larger society would not. The space is destructive, dangerous and in no way politically correct or "safe." But the motorcycle club gives these misfits a place where they can express themselves and their love for the open road, proving that, in the end, "everyone wants to be part of something."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'The Bikeriders' review: Austin Butler shines but Jodie Comer is star