Bikers, singers of freedom, these men in leather on a steel horse, the heroes of heavy metal action films are ideal characters for a heroic epic. They can be both good-natured and romantic, and demons from hell. It seems that the topic is inexhaustible. But not everything is so rosy. Yes, there was a period when there were so many films about motorcyclists and biker gangs that the concept of “biker fusion” even appeared in the press, by analogy with other exploitation films.
The time of rebellion against the life principles of parents who somehow survived the Second World War was marked by the emergence of nihilistic subcultures, the most radical of which was the bike movement. Movies are the best way to describe the life of men in leather on motorcycles, so here is a list of films about them.
- Easy Rider
- Wild angels
- Hell's Angels on Wheels
- Savage
- Without love
- Betta fish
- Black rain
- Beyond the Law
- Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
- Ghost rider
Born Racer (2011)
A biker needs nothing more in this life except his iron horse and a road with no end in sight. The hero gets the idea to travel across the vast expanses of the States. However, things soon start to go completely wrong. The government with its political games is involved in the troubles.
Wild angels
- Rating 6.1 / 5.7 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre Action, Thriller, Drama
- Country: USA
- Starring Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern
- Director Roger Corman
- Duration 93 min. / 01:33
- American International Pictures Studio
- Premiere date: July 20, 1966
- Screenplay by Charles B. Griffith, Peter Bogdanovich
Yes, Easy Rider was the film that changed the way Hollywood cinema was viewed. To the misunderstanding of the canons of filmmaking, tricks picked up from the New French Wave were added, and thus a new film language was born. But Roger Corman mastered these techniques a little earlier. True, his “Wild Angels” turned out to be closer to European viewers who were interested in seeing American nihilistic cinema. At home, the picture went almost unnoticed. It is likely that the great king of B-movies intended this, because Akella rarely missed and always knew which audience his work was aimed at.
The Hell's Angels gang rides around America on their bikes. The guys do not recognize laws and generally lead a freedom-loving lifestyle, avoiding the authorities and having fun at the first opportunity. But one day the bikers encounter Mexicans who are not at all happy to see noisy motorcyclists in their desert. Police break up the fight and arrest the wounded Angels member. The valiant rebels cannot allow their friend to die among the cops, so they steal him away, after which the unlucky fellow on the iron horse dies among his friends. The bikers don’t have medicine, of course.
"Wild Angels" is a much more cruel and uncompromising movie than the same "Rider". The main character, who is also the leader of a biker gang, is not such a romantic dreamer. After all, after burying a friend, the team can’t think of anything better than having an orgy. This is because the bikers are burned not only by the sun above their heads, but also by the fire in their empty souls. Therefore, violence and cruelty are their last chances to feel something.
An unexpectedly hopeless movie from such a funny guy as Corman. It’s not for nothing that the real gang of Hell’s Angels, who also starred in the film, filed a lawsuit against the director for presenting their association in a sharply negative way.
Trailer:
Beyond the Law (1993)
Daniel chose the difficult profession of a police officer. And now he has to do the most difficult part of it - working undercover. He needs to bring out a gang of bikers. Getting into character turned out to be too realistic. Now Daniel is not sure whether he is truly a servant of the law.
Betta fish
- Rating 7.7 / 7.2 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre: Drama, Romance, Crime
- Country: USA
- Starring Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
- Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Duration 94 min. / 01:34
- Zoetrope Studios
- Premiere date: October 7, 1983
- Script by S.E. Hinton, Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola's youth drama introduced actors Nicolas Cage, Mickey Rourke and Matt Dillon to the world. It is noteworthy that the symbol for the invariably lost generation in Coppola’s film becomes a biker, strange, incomprehensible and generally as if he came from another universe.
Rusty James (Matt Dillon), the leader of a local gang, recklessly starts a showdown with a rival organization. The hapless rebel is saved by his brother Motorcyclist (Mickey Rourke), the legendary king of the city, who has long abandoned his former possessions. Now he speaks distantly and vaguely about the surrounding reality, does not particularly support his younger brother and his ardent impulses, but is not going to stop him either. Rusty himself does not fully understand that the time of gangs is objectively over and that his brother, his hero, humbly realizes this. Where heroin has settled, there is no place not only for the fight for freedom and a place in the world, but for life in general. It is a rare case when a biker in a movie acts as a symbol of reconciliation with reality.
Trailer:
Easy Rider (1969)
White and Billy ride off into the unknown on their bikes. They only have an estimated arrival point, but that doesn't matter at all. Along the way, the heroes meet different places and people. Hosts are not always happy to have random guests. Soon the situation heats up and it becomes clear that the outcome will be truly terrifying.
Savage
- Rating 7.1 / 6.8 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre Thriller, Drama, Romance
- Country: USA
- Starring Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Robert Keith, Lee Marvin
- Directed by Laszlo Benedek
- Duration 79 min. / 01:19
- Columbia Pictures Studio
- Premiere date December 25, 1953
- Screenplay: John Paxton, Ben Maddow, Frank Rooney
One of the first movie heroes who managed to express their dissatisfaction with the structure of the world with the help of loud music and the roar of the engine of their bike appeared in Laszlo Benedek’s film “The Savage”. The image of Marlon Brando as a rebel on a steel horse became the standard for bikers of the fifties and sixties. But the image of a gang of young people riding noisy bikes, drinking alcohol and causing riots is a frightening thing for the average person.
And Johnny (Marlon Brando) is the leader of just such a group. He is one of his circle who still thinks, is able to formulate thoughts and analyze. The rest prefer to drink, destroy and pick up girls in every new town that comes their way. It’s a pity that such gangs are a dime a dozen, and one of them showed up in the city where Johnny’s gang was staying. The story of the confrontation between two warring teams hungry for impressions fades into the background when the rebels clash with ordinary people and the police.
Despite the fact that the film romanticizes bikers, it does not hesitate to show the destructiveness and dead-end path of their rebellion. At the same time, the approach of a preemptive strike from society is also criticized. Even before the guys have done anything, people and authorities are ready to attack, isolate and punish potential aggressors. This way the viewer can be in the shoes of each side of the conflict and try to understand everyone.
Trailer:
Express Delivery (2011)
Ki Soo works as a regular courier. In fact, this work was created for him. He has a motorcycle that he races on. Moreover, the guy always delivers everything on time. Orders are becoming more expensive and urgent. And the next one could be fatal, which is something Ki doesn’t want at all.
Without love
- Rating 6.1 / 6.2 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre Drama
- Country: USA
- Starring Willem Dafoe, Robert Gordon, Marin Kanter
- Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery
- Duration 85 min. / 01:25
- Pioneer Films Studio
- Premiere date: August 7, 1981
- Screenplay by Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery
James Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow is not only famous for winning two Oscars for The Hurt Locker, beating her ex with Avatar that year. The director has always loved to explore the male world. The relationship between two enemies-friends from the film Point Break lives and pulsates. For Bigelow, they are boys who will not stop playing with their childhood toys, but for the sake of friendship they can sacrifice everything. Likewise, in her interpretation of a film about bikers, the main character cares only about his motorcycle and how it looks at the moment.
Vance (Willem Dafoe) wears a biker jacket with stars pinned to it, like Brando's character in The Wild One. Yes, he even finds himself in a similar situation - he and the gang get stuck in a small decent town for one reason or another. But for Bigelow, these are not those revolutionaries and terrorists fighting the system with their metallic growls, these are just slobs for whom the most important thing is to get to the race and not have their hair disheveled.
The director seems to have figured out that this whole wave of films about guys on bikes is not at all about fighting anything. These guys wanted to look extravagant and ride beautiful, powerful motorcycles and play with cool shiny toys. And the sexual connotations are read almost more clearly than in the same “Crest of a Wave.”
Trailer:
Torque (2003)
After a long time, biker Keri Ford returns to his hometown. Here he intends to live a quiet life with his beloved girl. But fate had a rather unpleasant surprise in store for him. Ford is accused of a murder he did not commit. The brother of the murdered man intends to take revenge on him. FBI agents also begin to pursue him. Keri must restore justice at any cost by restoring his good name. He intends to find the real criminals, putting an end to this unfair story.
Viewer reviews
For obvious reasons, films about motorcyclists, racers and bikers are not of interest to everyone. Many people are simply far from this culture and do not take it seriously. Also, some films are too unusual and not intended for a mass audience. However, in this list we did not specifically limit ourselves to any particular genre. We have selected both action and drama films for you. So, depending on your mood, you can choose the right movie and enjoy watching it. Each film has its own unique atmosphere, but they all have one thing in common - a similar theme. Enjoy watching!
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
- Rating 7.6 / 6.2 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre Action, Thriller, Drama
- Country: USA
- Starring Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field
- Director Simon Wincer
- Duration 98 min. / 01:38
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio
- Premiere date: August 23, 1991
- Screenplay by Don Michael Paul
Another biker-themed film from the nineties that failed miserably at the American box office. The Russian audience fell in love with a couple of bikers with colorful names and no less striking external images.
Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) and the Marlboro Man (Don Johnson), no longer young easy riders, lead the lifestyle of rebels lost in time. The guys are no longer eager to destroy the system, but they also cannot keep up with the modern world. Or they can race on their bikes along the roads, drown their problems with alcohol and get into trouble. Friends ended up in one of these when they found out that their favorite bar wanted to take over the bank because the owner of the establishment could not afford the high rent. To collect as much as two million dollars, Harley and Marlboro decide to rob a bank by attacking a cash collection vehicle. Who could have known that drugs would be found there, not money.
The unlucky nihilists found themselves drawn into one of the most cunning criminal schemes. The people the two dinosaurs have to fight are calculating, smart, and play for high stakes. Old hippies are infuriated by this sleek plastic world, and they are even ready to sacrifice their lives just to prove their right to be free.
Trailer:
"Husband of the Hound of the Baskervilles"
A Soviet film about a motorcyclist that is able to surprise the viewer even after so many years since its release - this is noted by many who watched it. The main character of the film is a criminal named Bovarin. One day he finds a girl, Asya, and decides to take her in to raise her. As a result, years later, Asya is still grateful to her savior and is ready to do absolutely anything for him. But everything changes after she meets motorcyclist Danila, with whom she falls in love at first sight.
Real boars
Wild Hogs
- USA, 2007.
- Action, comedy, adventure.
- Duration: 100 minutes.
- IMDb: 5.8.
Four middle-aged bikers, tired of routine, decide to shake off the old days and ride across the whole country on motorcycles. But along the way they encounter problems - first frivolous, and then truly dangerous.
A silly, but very kind parody film is unlikely to impress arthouse connoisseurs, but is guaranteed to put everyone else in a good mood. And biker movie fans will also appreciate the funny cameos. So, in one of the episodes the omnipresent Peter Fonda appears, who advises the heroes to throw out their watches, as he once did in “Easy Rider.” In addition, the bar features glimpses of two of the famed creators of Orange County Choppers.
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Hell's Ride (2008)
Hell Ride is directed by Larry Bishop, who also plays Prez, the leader of a Southern California gang known as the Winners.
The plot revolves around the gang's efforts to avenge the murder of one of the gang members and how the motorcycle gang members stand up for each other and take revenge - something that fans of Sons of Anarchy are very familiar with.
"Welcome to the holidays"
This film is a typical representative of the slasher genre. Pictures of this kind tell stories about maniacal killers who brutally deal with a group of young men and women. In this case, the Italian Umberto Lenzi was able to bring some variety to his work. The thing is that the killer in this case is a motorcyclist, whose identity we do not know until the very end. The events of the film "Welcome to the Holidays" take place in a small resort town. Influx of tourists. This means that the authorities and police will again have something to work on to make this season the most profitable. The other day there was a funeral for a young biker who was a member of a local gang. Immediately after this, a series of brutal murders sweep through the city. Who is behind everything that is happening? Will law enforcement be able to identify the killer? Viewers follow the development of the plot with interest.
"Che Guevara: The Motorcycle Diaries" (2004)
According to critics, a biker film is one in which a hero on a motorcycle plays an important role in the plot. Therefore, the film about the journey of Che Guevara is classified as a biker film, although the events in it take place on another continent and several decades before the birth of the biker movement.
The diaries of the legendary revolutionary Che Guevara were discovered many years after his death, and were published only in 1993 in Cuba.
Gael Garcia Bernal, the lead actor, is of Mexican descent. He spent a year preparing for the role, trying to imitate the Argentine accent, studying all possible biographies of the Comandante and meeting his family and friends.
The film about the young Che's journey on a motorcycle from Argentina to Venezuela in eight months turned out to be a success. According to IMDb, she has received 36 awards, including an Oscar and two BAFTAs. The film caused a surge in tourism in the region. Tour operators were approached by clients with a request to sell a tour to the “places of Che Guevara” shown in the movies.
Still from the film “Che Guevara: The Motorcycle Diaries”: YouTube/Igor Su
Black rain
- Rating 6.9 / 6.7 (Kinopoisk/IMDb)
- Genre Action, Thriller, Crime
- Country: USA
- Starring Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw
- Directed by Ridley Scott
- Duration 125 min. / 02:05
- Paramount Pictures Studio
- Premiere date September 22, 1989
- Screenplay: Craig Bolotin, Warren Lewis
New York cop Nick (Michael Douglas) is obsessed not only with his job, but also with motorcycles. Fly through the city at night on a powerful bike, forgetting about the dirt of its streets and accusations of involvement in corruption. Yes, the local hero is as romantic as he is pragmatic. Biker of the new time, no matter what.
Nick and his young partner Charlie accompany gangster Kogi Sato, who Nick arrested for murder, to his native Japan. But at the airport, the criminal is taken away unnoticed by tough American police. The partners are forced to endure a humiliating investigation of the circumstances of the case, after which they begin their own illegal investigation and search for Sato. It’s not for nothing that Nick is still a biker and a rebel.
Producer and leading man Michael Douglas insisted that the film be a down-to-earth police story, with a minimum of the long-winded discussions of existence that Ridley Scott always loved. And from a box office point of view, the producer knew what he was doing. "Black Rain" at that time became the second commercially successful film in Scott's career. Although it is noticeable that the focus was on a deep story about a real American who found himself in a country that is still trying to comprehend the consequences of that very “Black Rain” (this is the name given to the radioactive fallout that fell after the bombing of Hiroshima). Therefore, Douglas’s hero is a policeman, a man with some power and weapons, as well as a biker, a representative of one of the most freedom-loving subcultures.
The result is a gloomy road movie, during which the main character finds long-lost moral principles.
Trailer:
