Good Biker Movies

This list of good biker movies was put together in honor of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an event held every August in South Dakota. But even if you don’t own a chopper, claim to be a “one-percenter,” or have a biker momma on the back of your Harley, you can still enjoy this list of films dedicated to one of the most free-spirited groups to ever burn rubber down the highways and byways of the world.

Netflix has all the film listed below, as well as thousands of others. They carry selections suitable for pigs and squares, as well as tweens and soccer moms. You can click on this link to become a Netflix member, and, believe me, your life will never be the same.

• Stone Cold (1991) – Former NCAA and NFL linebacker Brian “The Boz” Bosworth made his film debut in this action flick about a maverick cop out to stop a group of white supremacist bikers. To pull it off, he must go undercover as a biker himself, eventually unraveling a plot that involves stolen military ordinance, lots of drugs, and a daring daylight siege of the Mississippi Supreme Court. Bosworth’s action debut is better than many in the genre, and strong performances by Lance Henriksen and William Forsythe as villainous bikers anchor the supporting cast. A little-seen sequel, Back in Business, would pop up on VHS six years later.
• Beyond the Law (1992) – Originally released as an HBO original movie, Beyond the Law stars Charlie Sheen as Dan Saxon, a cop who goes undercover to break up a drug and illegal arms ring run by a biker gang. Michael Madsen–in the same year that audiences discovered him in Reservoir Dogs–co-stars as the leader of the bikers, while Linda Fiorentino plays a photojournalist who begins a dangerous romance with the increasingly conflicted cop. Also starring Rip Torn and Courtney B. Vance, the film was based on a true story.

• The Wild One (1953) – A girl asks Marlon Brando (as Johnny Strabler, leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club) what he’s rebelling against. His reply? “What do you got?” When he and his cohorts blow into a sleepy town and start causing trouble, Johnny becomes smitten with the daughter (Mary Murphy) of a local cop. As he tries to win her affections, he’ll have to contend with the increasingly hostile locals and the sudden arrival of The Beatles, a rival gang led by an old enemy named Chino (Lee Marvin). Brando is all kinds of cool in this one, and his iconic appearance inspired a craze for sideburns, leather jackets, and Triumph motorcycles.
• Easy Rider (1969) – The undisputed king of good biker movies, this film directed and co-written by Dennis Hopper tells the story of two free spirits (Peter Fonda and Hopper) on a personal journey to expand their minds and find the soul of America. Along the way, they experience free love, the communal lifestyle, the joy of illegal substances, and the dangers of small-minded rednecks. Jack Nicholson excels in his role as an alcoholic ACLU lawyer the duo encounters in their travels, and keep an eye out for Tony Basil (of “Mickey” fame) as a New Orleans prostitute.
• Mad Max (1979) – Mel Gibson kicked off this Aussie franchise about a good cop pushed to the breaking point by the slow collapse of society. While Max favors a “Pursuit Special” police car for his nerve-wracking chases, his opponents are a biker gang led by the vicious Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne). But when the gang goes too far, it’s time for Max to turn his back on the laws he once enforced and wage a bloody campaign of revenge. A white-knuckle classic that led to the ever better Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior).

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• Mask (1985) – A lot of good biker movies depict chopper-riding badasses as nothing more than violent drug-dealers and gun-runners, but this touching story about a sensitive teen (Eric Stoltz) dealing with a rare disorder avoids the expected clichés. Instead, the bikers in this Peter Bogdanovich film are fiercely supportive of young Rocky Dennis, especially his biker mom (Cher). Sam Elliott, one of the few Hollywood actors who’s as grizzled as a real-life biker, co-stars. Do bikers ever cry during a movie? Pop this one in for your local chapter and find out.
• Nam’s Angels (1970) – Also known as The Losers, this low-budget film answers the burning question, “Who would win in an all-out battle between bikers and the Viet Cong?” Legendary tough guy William Smith stars as the leader of a biker gang recruited by the CIA to head into enemy territory during the Vietnam War and rescue a captured agent. You’ll love the scenes of motorcycles outfitted with grenade launchers, machine guns, and armor plating, and how many films feature a man getting hit in the stomach and puking in slow-mo?
• Dhoom (2004) – Not all good biker movies are American, as evidenced by this action hit from Bollywood. Abhiskek Bachchan is Jai Dixit, an honest cop who teams with a thief (Uday Chopra) to bring down a biker gang who’ve pulled off a series of daring robberies. When the criminals look for one last score on New Year’s Eve, it leads to a thrilling climax involving double-crosses, doomed romance, and plenty of high-speed chases. The film had a massive impact on the youth culture of India, and it was followed by Dhoom 2 and 2012’s Dhoom 3.

• Psychomania (1971) – This British cult film stars Tom Latham as a young biker from an upper-class family. His mother enjoys taking part in bizarre occult rituals involving otherworldly toads, and this eventually leads Tom to make a deal with the devil. As he and his gang, The Living Dead, find new and unique ways to off themselves (including jumping out of planes and off of overpasses), they’re resurrected to wreak even more mayhem with their new supernatural powers. But perhaps the strangest scene comes when a biker is buried sitting upright on his motorcycle while a folk musician plays nearby. If you like good biker movies, or just damn strange ones, be sure to give this one a look.
• Gimme Shelter (1970) – Putting the Hell’s Angels in charge of security for an event probably isn’t a good idea, but that’s exactly what happened during the ill-fated Altamont Free Concert. Armed with pool cues and loaded down with alcohol and drugs, the infamous biker gang (as well as the crowd) became more violent as the day went on. By the time The Rolling Stones took the stage, things were past the point of no return, and a revolver was pulled by a member of the crowd and aimed at the stage. A Hell’s Angel intervened, a knife was produced, and soon a young man lost his life. It’s all captured in this fascinating documentary that uses a fly-on-the-wall approach to follow the Stones through recording sessions and later negotiations to make the Altamont concert a reality. It’s interesting to note that a young George Lucas was working as a camera operator during the concert, but his camera jammed and none of the footage was used (these days, he would just make up the difference with CGI).

All these good biker movies and more can be found on Netflix. There’s never a late fee, and your shipping and handling is pre-paid. With over 100,000 films to choose from, you and your biker pals will never lack for entertainment (assuming you’re not busy terrorizing the locals or selling illegal firearms). We do get a commission when you sign up, but it all goes right back into the site.

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