Jeff Nichols’ new film The Bikeriders chronicles a tumultuous decade in the life of a fictional Midwestern outlaw motorcycle club called the Vandals, who transform from a band of speed-loving bike enthusiasts into a full-fledged criminal enterprise during the 1960s and ‘70s. Johnny (Tom Hardy), the Vandals' leader of the pack, finds an heir apparent in the thrill-seeking but fiercely individualistic Benny (Austin Butler). Benny’s strong-willed girlfriend Kathy (Jodie Comer) eventually wants a different kind of life for her and Benny, putting her at odds with Johnny and testing Benny’s loyalties as the world around the Vandals is consumed by violence.
I recently spoke with Austin Butler and Jodie Comer about making the film. The interview below has been edited for clarity; specific spoilerish statements they made were removed. IGN: The love triangle in the movie is not the traditional one where it's two guys vying for a woman, but it's Kathy and Johnny both vying for Benny.
What does Benny represent or symbolize to Kathy and then to Johnny? Jodie Comer: For Kathy, she immediately fell in love with him. I think at the beginning it was incredibly intoxicating and really exciting. I think she led quite what people would consider a normal, mundane life.
She had children to look after, and this world was not something she was aware of. So he kind of comes into her life as this whirlwind, and I think that's initially what she falls in love with. And as the relationship goes .
