The Bike Riders
Grimy, violent and oozing gallons of sex appeal, Mud director Jeff Nichols takes inspiration from Danny Lyon's 1968 photobook and brings this thoroughly rebellious tale to full-bodied life on the big screen.
Starring the excellent Tom Hardy, a cool-as-a-cucumber Austin Butler and the audacious Jodie Comer, The Bike Riders feels like a lovelorn ode to those classic biker movies from yesteryear, but with a more modern and violent edge.
Indeed, the Hardy, Butler and Comer trio shine bright here in a story that's got plenty of romance, capturing a time when bike gangs and their brethren pretty much ruled the American highways and dusty backroads.
It's 1965 and we're introduced to a gang known as The Vandals. Led with an iron fist by family man Johnny, this is a closeknit group of buddies who are all devoted to their bikes and one another.
Then out of the blue steps innocent wallflower Kathy, an unremarkably ordinary girl completely unaccustomed to the biking way of life. yet as soon as she sets her eyes on the gang's mysterious Benny, she falls deeply in love with a passionate but very much lost soul.
Yes, life on the road in this gang can be exhilarating, uplifting and rewarding, but also very, very dangerous.
Nichols superbly captures the dust, grime and oil stains ingrained on skin, clothing and souls of each Vandals member. There is an element of romanticism at play here, but that soon fades when the fist fights erupt, broken bottles smash and bullets start flying. Nichols doesn't shy away from the realities of gang life, and it's a vision that repels as much as it excites.
The cast here are all on top form, with Hardy playing with ease the rugged, battle-worn leader Johnny while sparks fly between the sultry Austin Butler and spirited Jodie Comer as star-crossed lovers Benny and Kathy.
If you enjoyed Sons of Anarchy and have a weakness for screen rebels who plough their way through life without a cause, then The Bike Riders will most definitely appeal to your tastes.
Give this a go if you fancy a gritty, punchy drama that's got style and panache in abundance.
Something in the Water
There's something fishy about this latest horror flick that involves a group of friends on holiday who become abandoned in shark-infested waters.
Yep, we've literally been in these waters many times before, so you'll be forgiven for thinking that Something in the Water doesn't really have anything new to offer.
The action here follows Meg and Kayla, two lovers who experienced a horrendous ordeal at the hands of some thuggish homophobes. This moment, while coming across as a bit forced, is extremely brutal.
One year later, Meg and Kayla have unfortunately broken up, but now have to endure going to a friend's wedding together. Still, finding time to put asides their past, the pair set out to sea on a boat with some of their close friends, but unfortunately it's not long before tragedy strikes and the group find themselves lost at sea and at the mercy of some very hungry creatures in the water.
To be fair, there's more at play here with a story that focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder and the usual hangups with ex-lovers, but director Hayley Easton Street struggles to give this particular shark tale a more imaginative or original angle.
