Outlaw motorcycle clubs have existed for almost as long as the motorcycle itself. Their public profile is generally negative, but that gives them a hint of danger that makes them fascinating to the layman. Films about biker gangs have basically formed their own genre, with a few big names frequently listed among the best movies ever made.
A biker gang is frequently an object of parody in comedy movies, or a mob of enemies to be mowed down in action movies. Other films, however, put bikers in the lead role and turn their culture and their vehicles into the driving force of the plot.
The Wild Angels
The most important film in the biker subgenre is almost certainly Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper's 1969 classic Easy Rider. It's the film that popularized the concept on film and inspired the entire movement that would take form over the following decade. However, Easy Rider wasn't the first film to put Fonda behind the handlebars of a Harley. That honor goes to 1965's The Wild Angels. Directed by beloved low-budget film icon Roger Corman, Wild Angels is a crucial piece of the history of biker movies that far too few fans have seen. 60's counterculture was kickstarted by multiple sources, but the contributions of this film can't be ignored. The Wild Angels was a mild critical and financial success, but it's since been largely forgotten. Fans of this unique subgenre should seek out this early example.
Hells Angels on Wheels
Easy Rider wasn't just the origin point for the entire biker movie subculture, it was also the first big break for legendary actor Jack Nicholson. However, just like Peter Fonda, Nicholson starred in a motorcycle movie before the one that made him a star. Hells Angels on Wheels tells the story of Poet, a gas station attendant who gets into an altercation with the titular biker gang. Poet shows more guts than brains when an Angel damages his bike. Rather than destroy him, the gang takes a liking to Poet and welcomes him into the fold. The film is a violent journey into life with the Angels. It explores their rules and traditions through the eyes of Poet, an outsider. It's a rather sparse narrative, but like The Wild Angels, it laid the groundwork for the movement that would follow it. Hells Angels on Wheels is a fun ride with a lot of power behind it.
The World's Fastest Indian
This 2005 sports drama isn't really about bikers in the criminal sense. There isn't a lot of leather, there aren't a lot of fights, and the story is a lot more emotional than it is epic. But, this is a film for people who love motorcycles and the culture that surrounds them. This lesser-known New Zealand production tells the true story of Burt Munro, who took a heavily modified 1920 Indian Scout and used it to set multiple land speed records. Anthony Hopkins takes the lead role, imbuing Munro with a deeply human sense of ambition in the face of aging. It's a movie about a man with a dream that he'll put everything on the line to pursue. It's an engaging and heartwarming story, brought to life perfectly by Hopkins's rich performance. The film might not be about the traditional biker, but every motorcycle fan should enjoy this film.
Stone Cold
Fans of the hilariously overblown portrayal of biker gangs in later films need to see Craig Baxley's comedic 1991 action film. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth starts his acting career off with a bang in this overblown instant classic. The Boz portrays Joe Huff, an Alabama cop who feels pieced together from old Chuck Norris jokes, who must infiltrate a biker gang to prevent a political assassination. The biker gang, known as "The Brotherhood," is on the border of parody. They're loud, crass, hedonistic, violent, and racist. It's like a laundry list of everything people hate about the subculture. Lance Hendrickson appears as the vicious leader, and his duel with Bosworth is funnier than it is epic. Stone Cold doesn't portray the world of bikers in the best light, but, like the movie as a whole, it's so bad that it comes around to being funny.
Beyond the Law
Charlie Sheen stars in this 1993 adaptation of the true story of Dan Saxton. It's a tale of a hard-nosed cop struggling to infiltrate an outlaw gang. Sheen as Saxton must undergo ever-greater challenges to keep his cover, gradually driving him into darker and darker criminal territory. In the role of "Blood," the most vicious biker in the crew, is Kill Bill star, Michael Madsen. He's a solid villain, and the tension never drops when he's on-screen. Writer/director Larry Ferguson, also known for films like Highlander and Alien 3, brings the story to the big screen with a note-perfect atmosphere and tone. Beyond the Law is a solid action movie set in the darkest parts of the biker subculture.