The Bikeriders (2023) - Goodfellas with motorbikes

From almost the opening scene I was thinking 'Goodfellas' when I sat down to watch 'The Bikeriders,' mainly because of how it's effectively told from the girlfriend of one of the main protagonist's perspective.  It certainly takes the 'gangster genre' and transplants it onto a group of motorbike riders with its gritty take into the world.  Apparently, it's based on a book, written by a journalist who spent time with the bikers during the late 60s and early 70s and does a good job of capturing the brotherhood, loyalty and (occasional intense!) violence that define the biker subculture.

Tom Hardy delivers the outstanding performance of the film, not straying too far away from what he's done before with his tough-guy act as character of the club's leader.  His inclusion as kindly, yet menacing adds a definitely depth to the film that elevates it beyond a typical crime drama.  Hardy is definitely the stand-out, but that largely because he literally seems to have more lines to work with than the actual protagonist who, although does a good impression of a 'James Dean' type character, his lack of dialogue does wonders for Tom Hardy's input.

While the main storyline drives the story well, some of the sub-plots involving some younger gang-members feels a bit redundant initially.  These narrative threads seem to not really go anywhere until they finally clash with the central characters at the end, but, until then, they do feel a bit distracting. However, as the film progresses, these seemingly extraneous elements are woven back into the main plot in a way that enhances the overall story.  The eventual payoff of these sub-plots has its own merits, but you'll only really appreciate it when you know why it's been added.

Overall, 'The Bikeriders' is a great little film which I haven't seen anything like it in the cinema for a long time.  It's deep, gritty, but at the same time could almost be considered a bit of a 'love story' with the central characters and their relationship which is strained when it clashes with the 'biker lifestyle.' If you like your gritty dramas, or are just a fan of Tom Hardy and decent storytelling, it stands out as a noteworthy entry in the genre. 

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one

Spiderhead (2022) - Should have been 'Black Mirror'

'Spiderhead' starts off slow and takes a while to get going.  Straight away we can see it's sent in a futuristic prison where inmates are subjected to experimental drugs. Chris Hemsworth is the warden/scientist in charge of the facility who does his best to keep things entertaining and provides a solid anchor for the story.

However, despite Hemsworth's performance, the film struggles with pacing issues, particularly in its first half. The initial setup drags on, feeling more like an extended episode of 'Black Mirror' rather than a feature-length movie.  This extended buildup attempts to establish the characters and the dystopian setting, but lacked enough momentum to stop me wanting to check my phone.

The narrative picks up in the second half, but the final act introduces complexities that might leave some viewers confused.  The final result could either be considered 'thought-provoking' or rushed and if you're hoping for something that is spood-fed to you, you won't be getting it here.

Overall, 'Spiderhead' is a good concept that would have worked better if it was a forty-five minute episode of a sci-fi TV show, as it left me just wanting to skip to the pay-off and see what is really going on.  It delivers some engaging moments and fans of Hemsworth are in for a treat with his mini 'dance number,' but the uneven pacing and a convoluted finale detract from its overall impact. 

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights

Baghead (2023) - Good premise, bad characters

I think it's fair to say that anyone into horror movies hardly expects deep and nuanced characters when they tune in to watch a man with a mask inserting chainsaws into teenagers.  I'll wager you won't remember most slashers' victims names by the time the credits roll.  They're normally there to simply be dismembered in memorable ways.  However, when it comes to 'Baghead' there's only really three (or maybe four) 'main' characters.  And they're all completely unlikable.

I like the idea behind the story.  There's a creature that lives behind the wall in the basement of an old pub and it can take the form of your dead relatives... if you should so want it to.  But, like I say, I just didn't care enough about the people at stake.  

The young woman who inherits the pub is just miserable and, without really getting much in the way of her backstory, makes her subsequent decisions a little hard to understand.  The evil is tethered to the building, so, er, you could just leave, right?  Apparently, not.  Then there's her best friend.  She has even less depth and backstory than the protagonist.  She's just annoying, mouthy and, well, the best friend.  The two other minor male characters may have a little in the way of motivation, but you won't really care if they live or die either.  

And then there's the sets.  They're very blatantly sets.  Everything has this weird 'clean' feel about it - even the places that are supposed to be old and run-down.

Believe it or not, I didn't completely hate it.  It's a reasonable enough horror film, but in a very over-populated genre I felt it didn't have much to offer that I haven't seen several decades before in other movies like 'The Ring' or 'The Grudge' (either original Japanese, or American remakes are better than 'Baghead').

5/10 You can watch this film while you're doing the ironing (you'll still get the general gist of it)