The Bikeriders Ending Explained: Examining the Vandals' Fate More Closely
Note: This page has significant The Bikeriders spoilers.
The Bikeriders finishes with a somewhat less gravity than the rest of the movie. Based on a true incident, Jeff Nichols' written and directed The Bikeriders is a rendition of Danny Lyon's novel of the same name. Since its release at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, the movie has been gradually gathering momentum and has gotten generally good reviews from critics. Benny and Kathy go to Florida at the end of the movie following the disbandment of the original Vandals motorbike club.
Furious he was left out of the Vandals, the Kid shoots and murders Johnny (Tom Hardy) in a parking lot. Long after Mike Faist's Danny left, the Vandals were fighting between the old and new members. The other original motorcyclists scattered and either joined up with the new Vandals or went away with Johnny dead. And although Johnny and Kathy agreed that neither of them got Benny, he at least came back to Kathy after some time gone, riding off into the sunset when Johnny urged him to get on.
Why Benny & Kathy Smile At The Bikerider End?
Benny spoke little words at all. The chatty one was Kathy, giving Danny knowledge about the Vandals, their customs, and their laws. Benny hardly smiled during The Bikeriders, but his smile at the end of the movie serves a far different purpose than Kathy's. When Kathy tells Danny she and Benny are at last happy, she smiles—a secret smile that denotes her delight at leaving the Vandals behind and beginning over. At last she is living the perfect life she has always imagined.
Benny's smile, on the other hand, arrives at a somewhat different moment. The Bikeriders says his smile responds to Kathy's and the phrase on happiness. But Benny's smile most likely comes from hearing backdrop motorcycle motors roaring. Though Nichols doesn't show the motorcycles passing by or anything, especially after so long, Benny would be delighted just hearing them. Kathy might believe his smile is from their new life, but the only thing in the world that would make him that much happy is the sound of motorcycles—his first love.
Johnny's Death in the Bikeriders Expounded & What Happens to the Vandals
As the Vandals' gruff captain, Johnny thought brotherhood was above all else. Sadly, the fresh club members felt differently. The Kid was eager to join the Vandals—so much so that he went back despite feeling ashamed of Johnny the first time he asked.
Once the Milwaukee chapter established, Johnny had little influence on membership or in what the new Vandals did. The Kid just intended to exact revenge, killing Johnny out of wrath and to establish his authority over him and the group. In a sense, Johnny lost his grip on the Vandals' goal and perished since no one else there—like Benny—was defending him. The death of Johnny and The Kid assuming leadership for the Vandals marked a change in the moral route of the new guard from the way things used to be done. Though local residents were afraid of the old Vandals, the new club was considerably more violent and disobedient than Johnny and his buddies had ever been. The Kid was not Johnny. The motorcycle group evolved into a normal gang driven above all else by crime and fear. Though the surrounding residents were afraid of the original Vandals, the new club was considerably more violent and disobedient than Johnny and his companions ever were. The Kid was no Johnny.
The Reason Benny Turns Down Johnny's Offer to Lead the Vandals
Leading the Vandals was getting old for Johnny, and he knew he would come a day when he could not continue. The founder sought someone the other guys trusted and respected, someone who cared about the Vandals as much as he did and had a commanding presence. Nobody else could perform as Benny could, Johnny knew. Benny was not so convinced, though. He probably turned down Johnny's offer since he wasn't ready to accept such a great load. Benny advised Johnny that he most likely expected the same since he told him he asked nothing from anyone.
Most importantly, Benny saw the extent Johnny would go to defend the Vandals, including shooting Cockroach in the leg to provide an out and burning down a club where Benny was beaten up. Benny seemed more interested in the freedom of riding a motorbike than the interpersonal relationships it gave than in going that far to protect his pals. Benny was more of a free spirit who opposed any kind of control; the degree of responsibility would be great. This could be the reason Benny left to go back to enjoy riding simply.
What becomes of the Vandals Chicago's original members?
The rest of the original Vandals separate when Johnny is killed by The Kid. Having seen Johnny's murder, Wahoo and Corky carry on with the Vandals under The Kid's direction most likely because they were too afraid to give up their colors. Cal dropped a ladder and fractured his neck; Cockroach became a motorcycle officer after Johnny shot her in the knee to get away from the new members; Funny Sonny paid to sit outside a movie theater; Zipco moved to Texas to work on a shrimping boat.
Member of Original Vandal | What Happened to Them
---|----|
Brucie | Riding his motorcycle and struck by an automobile
Johnny | Murded from a head gunshot wound
Cal shattered his neck falling down the stairs.
Cockroach turned into a motorbike officer.
Zipco moved to Texas to work on a shrimping boat.
Benny | Traveled to Florida and started working as a mechanic.
Everything The Bikeriders Does Different From Danny Lyon's Book
Though Lyon's book inspired The Bikeriders, the movie renames the Motorcycle Club the photographer tracked. Their name was Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, not Vandals. Every character in the movie is a fictionalized form of the actual members. And while The Bikeriders purported the Vandals were founded by Johnny after he got the idea for it from a James Dean movie, the Outlaws were started in 1935 (via Biography) in McCook, Illinois.
Lyon himself joined the Motorcycle Club to record them, but only stayed with them till the late 1960s after his photo book was released. In the film adaptation, Lyon returned to interview Kathy in 1973 to find out what he had missed in the years he was away, but after his book was published, Lyon moved on to other things. Though the events that happened in The Bikeriders are fabricated for the sake of its narrative, the motorcycle club grew to comprise many more members than it began with, much like in the movie. First released in 1968, the Bikeriders book included several images of the Chicago Outlaws, some of which have been exactly copied in the movie.
The actual significance of the bikeriders' farewell
The Bikeriders catches a very particular moment and location born on circumstances. The ending of the movie, however, suggests that the essence of things might not alter even if circumstances can. Consider Benny, who chose a more traditional way of life over the life of a motorbike rider. Still, the sound of the motorcycle makes him feel at ease even if he is now a mechanic.
The Vandals, too, changed over time, including its very ethos, but it didn’t remove the bikeriding aspect, or the tendency to live outside of societal norms and rules. What’s more, The Bikeriders showcases that, though Benny can leave his environment behind, one can’t take his love of motorcycles and riding from him. It lives within him no matter where he goes or what he does next in his life.
The Bikeriders Movie Review: A Deeper Look at the Film
The Bikeriders tells the story of a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Through the eyes of Kathy, played by Jodie Comer, the film explores the club's evolution from a group of local outsiders to a dangerous gang.
The Bikeriders has been praised for its stunning visuals, its compelling characters, and its exploration of themes of masculinity, brotherhood, and the evolution of a community. The film is a powerful and evocative work that captures the spirit of a bygone era, exploring the complexities of motorcycle culture and its impact on those who live within its orbit. The Bikeriders is a must-watch for fans of historical dramas, motorcycle movies, and powerful coming-of-age stories.
