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What is The Bikeriders Rated? What to Know About Motorcycle Drama Starring Austin Butler
The film zooms into theaters everywhere on Friday, June 21.
Brotherhood, violence, and grumbling motorcycles collide in writer-director Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders (hitting the big screen next month via Focus Features). Inspired by Danny Lyon's 1968 book of the same name, the historical drama follows the camaraderie and tragedy surrounding a Midwestern bike club — known as the Vandals — between the 1960s and '70s.
Killing Eve alumnus Jodie Comer narrates the movie (à la Ray Liotta in Goodfellas) as Kathy, the harried wife of inscrutable easy rider Benny (played by Oscar nominee Austin Butler). As the club grows in influence and numbers, slowly devolving into a wayward gang on the opposite side of the law, the old-school Vandals (led by Tom Hardy's Johnny) struggle to keep up with a new generation of hog-riding rebels without a cause.
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"What I find interesting, and what The Bikeriders directly addresses, is that in our search for a unique identity, we very often turn to groups to help us define ourselves," Nichols explains in the official production notes. "It is human nature to want to belong, but that feeling is compounded when the group we choose to belong to is more unique. The more specific the group, the clearer the identity. In some instances, this can be a wonderful, powerful thing in our lives. In others, it can be terribly destructive. The Bikeriders represents both."
He continues: "When you combine this universal idea, or truth if you want to go that far, with a subculture as complicated, colorful, dangerous, and alluring as American motorcycle culture, I think you have the recipe for a film that will speak to a lot of people. I found Danny Lyon’s book 20 years ago, and it has been an obsession in my life ever since. While illuminating for me all of the thoughts mentioned above, it was also, quite simply, the coolest book I’d ever come across. My hope was to make a film that captured this feeling, and more importantly, transferred it to a larger filmgoing audience."
What is The Bikeriders rated?
Rated R. Owing to the fact that it centers around a group of rowdy individuals who swore like sailors, drank like sailors, and threw punches before asking questions, the movie has (understandably) received an R-rating.
Why is The Bikeriders Rated R?
The Bikeriders has been rated R for "language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality."
Who Stars in The Bikeriders?
The film features an all-star cast comprised of Austin Butler (Elvis), Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Tom Hardy (Venom), Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire), Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Mike Faist (Challengers), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead).
When Does The Bikeriders Open in Theaters?
The Bikeriders will zoom into theaters everywhere on Friday, June 21.
The film is produced by Sarah Green, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Arnon Milchan. Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, David Kern, and Fred Berger serve as executive producers.
