The Bikeriders: Jodie Comer Explains Film's Relatability

ComicBook talked to Jodie Comer about the themes in Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders.

By Jamie Jirak

The Bikeriders is heading to theaters later this month. The film follows a motorcycle club in the 1960s and is based on the photography book of the same name by Danny Lyon. The movie stars Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two) as Benny, Tom Hardy (Venom) as Johnny, Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) as Zipco, Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) as Funny Sonny, and Boyd Holbrook (Logan) as Cal, who are all members of the gang. The film also stars Mike Faist (Challengers) as Danny Lyon and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Kathy, Benny's wife. The film takes place over a couple of years and shows how things can grow and change, sometimes for the worse. ComicBook recently had the chance to chat with Comer alongside Butler, and she spoke about the film's reliability. 

"I mean, I think it's something we can all relate to, like you've just said, whether that be a change within yourself or within another person," Comer explained. "But I think also that kind of aspect of, with Kathy, the thing that she fell in love with about Benny then became the thing that she wanted to take him away from, in a sense of selfishly wanting him safe and more at home. Because she's changed. It's like there's so many kinds of aspects that I feel within the film that I think is so universal." 

You can watch our interview with Jodie Comer and Austin Butler at the top of the page. 

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(Photo:

Jodie Comer and Austin Butler in The Bikeriders.

- Focus Features)

Tom Hardy Breaks Down His Character From The Bikeriders:

In The Bikeriders, Hardy plays Johnny, the leader of The Vandals. While chatting with ComicBook, Hardy spoke about how layered his character is in the film.

"Well, a vulnerability to somebody who externally projects themselves as being something that internally they're not," Hardy explained. "I think that's true of all people. They're a paradox of conflicting drivers. So it is just something that I've noticed for me. Some people, the more exterior, they seem to be frosty or whatever, but lies, sometimes, a much softer and vulnerable sensitive center. Those who disport themselves as sensitive may fall foul of the complete opposite."

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You can read a synopsis of the film here: "THE BIKERIDERS captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club."

The Bikeriders was directed by Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special) and opens in theaters on June 21st. Stay tuned for more from our interviews with the cast of The Bikeriders.

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