How Austin Butler Was Able To Pull Off A Tortured And Conflicted Character In Bikeriders

One thing that I’ve noticed about Butler in the past is that he can pull off tortured and conflicted characters really, really well. This is especially true for his portrayal of Benny in The Bikeriders. While other members of the Vandals have a devil-may-care attitude and seem to having nothing on their minds besides booze, drugs, fights, and women, it’s a different story when you look into Benny’s eyes.

Here’s a man fighting a battle of fight or flight every single day of his life, and at multiple times throughout the movie, he straight up disappears because of it all. The vulnerability of his performance has me hoping he’s officially cast in Heat 2, because that richness would be perfect for Chris Shiherlis.

From the first time I saw the first Bikeriders trailer, I had a feeling the movie was going to have some explosive scenes. Though the movie is more vibes than plot, as we pointed out in our official review, there are some great moments where characters show off some wild energy, specifically Austin Butler’s Benny.

There’s one scene in particular (though revisited multiple times) in the movie where Benny refuses to remove his “colors” (his Vandals patch) at a bar and then gets the shit kicked out of him by two goons. I swear I saw shades of a young Chris Shiherlis when Benny pulls out the knife and slashes one of his attackers after fighting them in the street. It takes a lot to get the kid going, but when he does, he doesn’t mess around.