Ride or Die: The Bikeriders Ending, Explained
Do Austin Butler and Jodie Comer get to ride off into the sunset? We're here to find out!
**SPOILER WARNING! The following contains major spoilers for The Bikeriders!**
Cool, tragic, and redolent of Martin Scorsese's greatest crime sagas, The Bikeriders (click here to pick up tickets!) delivers a fascinating and R-rated snapshot of the American motorcycle culture that became so popular in the years following World War II. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by photojournalist Danny Lyon, the film — written and directed by Jeff Nichols — follows the highs and lows of a fictional motorcycle club known as the Chicago Vandals.
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Much of the story is related to the audience through interviews with Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of one of the Vandals, who is among the first to realize the once-benign organization is quickly turning into something dangerous and unsustainable. She attempts to get her husband, Benny (Austin Butler), to get out before it's too late. Do they get to triumphantly ride off into the sunset on an actual Triumph motorcycle? That's what we're here to find out!
What Happens at the End of The Bikeriders?
The Bikeriders ends with the golden age of motorcycle clubs coming to a tragic close. The Kid (Toby Wallance), the troubled young man we follow at several points throughout the film, returns to challenge Johnny (Tom Hardy) for control of the Vandals. You may recall how the upstart youngster was turned down for membership earlier in the story when he showed he was ready to cast his friends aside if it meant becoming a Vandal. Despite that setback, he's still able to join up by way of a different chapter.
Johnny, a sporting man to the last, agrees to a gentlemanly brawl with knives that will decide the fate of his beloved organization. Unfortunately, he doesn't realize the new generation doesn't play by the rules when The Kid brings a literal gun to a literal knife fight and shoots the founder dead. Under new management, the club goes from a tight-knit fraternity of outcasts to a full-on criminal enterprise involved with drugs and prostitution.
Benny finally returns home to Kathy after living life out on the road and loses his stony-faced cool, breaking down and mourning the terrible loss of a close friend and mentor. He gives up the Vandals life — though some original members do remain amongst its ranks — and moves down to Florida with Kathy, taking up a position at his cousin's auto mechanic garage.
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Kathy ends her interview with photojournalist and ex-Vandal Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) and glances out the kitchen window at Benny, who seems lost in thought while his cousin drones on about something or other. We get the impression that Benny is, perhaps, pining for days when it was just him, a motorcycle, and the open road. He breaks out of the reverie and smiles at his wife, both of them reassured they made the right choice in getting out. Then the film provides us with one last rundown of the Vandals' most memorable characters, both living and dead.
Does The Bikeriders Have a Post-Credits Scene?
No. The Bikeriders does not have a post-credits scene. Most self-contained historical dramas have no need for stingers like that. With that said, if you do stick around during the end titles, you will be treated to a number of photos depicting the members of the real-world motorcycle club (Outlaws MC) that inspired the film.
How to Watch The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders opens in theaters everywhere Friday, June 21. Click here to pick up tickets!
