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Nichols, the naturalistic Arkansas auteur behind 鈥淭ake Shelter,鈥� 鈥淢ud鈥� and 鈥淟oving,鈥� reveals he鈥檚 passionate about the symbols of biker culture 鈥� how it looks, sounds and feels 鈥� but less so about the stories behind it.

His rough-edged movie is built from powerful images. Nichols adapted 鈥淭he Bikeriders鈥� from a 1968 photo book of the same name by Danny Lyon, who lionized members of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club a year before Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper seized pop culture with 鈥淓asy Rider,鈥� a biker odyssey that succeeded as both a film and soundtrack.

In Nichols鈥� semi-fictional telling of the tale, which he sets in the Midwest of the 鈥�60s, the Outlaws become the Vandals. But the filmmaker also draws from another, bigger influence: 鈥淭he Wild One,鈥� the 1953 drama starring Marlon Brando that first made bikers seem cool to mass audiences. (It鈥檚 said the Beatles adapted their name from the Beetles, Lee Marvin鈥檚 rival gang in the film.)

In 鈥淭he Wild One,鈥� Brando plays Johnny, a charismatic but conflicted leader of a pack of bikers, the Black Rebels, who invade a small town and cause much mischief, while Johnny falls for Kathie (Mary Murphy), the shy daughter of the local sheriff. Brando鈥檚 counterpart in 鈥淭he Bikeriders,鈥� also named Johnny, is played by Tom Hardy, who channels Brando鈥檚 taciturn manner and stare. It鈥檚 a gaze midway between anxious and defiant. His forehead has such deep worry lines it looks like you could plant corn in them.

Hardy鈥檚 Johnny, whose red shirt matches his bike, formed the Vandals after seeing 鈥淭he Wild One鈥� on TV (鈥淛ust something to do, you know?鈥� he later explains), and while he鈥檚 fiercely proud of his crew, he initially resists entreaties to expand and franchise the club.

Nichols鈥� narrative change-up, a potential for dramatic conflict that ultimately proves unsatisfactory, is to have two leaders of the pack, neither of whom really wants the job. Johnny sees his close friend Benny as heir to his throne, which Johnny is eager to relinquish; he鈥檚 older than most of his club members. 鈥淚 need ya,鈥� he tells Benny, as their heads draw close in the semi-darkness favoured by cinematographer Adam Stone.

Benny, though, just wants to savour the Vandals鈥� outlaw spirit. He whoops for joy while being chased by cops, jumps into any fight he sees (鈥淲hat do I need to think for?鈥�) and is willing to endure a near-fatal beating by thugs in a bar rather than surrender his cherished Vandals jacket. Despite taking enough poundings to bring down a grizzly bear, Benny manages to retain his pretty-boy good looks.

Kathy, who marries Benny soon after meeting him, observes the tight bromantic bond between her spouse and Johnny. She frets about the club鈥檚 increasing tilt towards crime and violence, which reflects a society that鈥檚 similarly headed straight to hell.

Functioning as the film鈥檚 narrator, Kathy tells the Vandals鈥� story in an ongoing interview with a journalist patterned on Lyon, whose 1968 images are seen in the film鈥檚 closing credits.

Lyon is played by Mike Faist (Steven Spielberg鈥檚 鈥淲est Side Story鈥�), one of many top-notch actors in the cast 鈥� others include Norman Reedus and Nichols regular Michael Shannon 鈥� who haven鈥檛 been given much to do. Nobody has, really, not even Johnny, Benny and Kathy, who have little in the past or the present that鈥檚 deemed worthy of discussion or furtherance, least of all anything sexual.

Everybody spends a great deal of time drinking beer and smoking cigarettes (my throat felt raw just watching the on-screen inhaling), with occasional breaks for punch-ups when somebody threatens the tribe.

鈥淭he Bikeriders鈥� has an authentic look and feel, but, like most films by Nichols, the story is subservient to the atmosphere.

I wish I could give the film a higher rating, since I like all the actors and admire Nichols鈥� style.

But I can鈥檛. I鈥檓 sorry I hurt you, leaders of the pack.