Culture is important. Motorcycling culture comes in many forms, of which film is one. We can’t always be on the Road, on an epic long motorcycle ride. Sometimes we can enjoy the mythology, or indeed be awed by it, instead of living or creating it. In my writings I often reference literary motorcycle fiction and non fiction. Now let’s talk about film.
From “outlaw” myth to neon cyberpunk, below I’ve listed a few films that I’ve enjoyed, or noted. Some are very famous, others are more obscure, perhaps for reasons of time or distribution. The films on this list were made in a number of places from the 1950s until the present day. They are in several languages: English (classical and modern), French, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, and Wolof. Some are iconic, some are philosophical, some are tragic; some are all of those things.
There is no easy way to rank them. I’ve listed them by their Rotten Tomatoes score, which is a website with a wide and expert readership. The scores don’t necessarily reflect each film’s quality, but perhaps can serve as a waymarker of how much some people enjoyed them. I enjoyed all of them, and I hope, if you’ve not seen some of them, you’ll make it your mission to track them down.
Here we go.
Biker Boyz (2003), Rotten Tomatoes: ~23%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/biker_boyz
This early-2000s street-racing drama pits a fresh-from-the-Matrix Laurence Fishburne’s “Smoke” against the ambitious “Kid”, with a predominantly African American cast. The film is very high adrenaline, and a nostalgic snapshot of early 2000s underground drag-racing culture.
Anarchy (Cymbeline) (2014), Rotten Tomatoes: ~32%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anarchy
A modern, gritty adaptation of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, set amid outlaw bikers (Britons MC) and corrupt cops (Rome PD). With a very strong ensemble cast which includes Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich, Vondie Curtis-Hall, John Leguizamo, Penn Badgley, Dakota Johnson, Anton Yelchin, Delroy Lindo, and Bill Pullman, the film fuses Elizabethan drama with biker aesthetics. Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s less well known plays, so even Shakespeare fans like me may be coming to it fresh.
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), Rotten Tomatoes: ~38%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/naked_under_leather
The 1960s weren’t only about Easy Rider. In this tragic tale of doomed love, a woman leaves her life behind and rides across Europe on a Harley in a sensual, psychedelic, and at the time controversial road trip movie. One of the things I’d noticed about it is how different the European counter-cultural dynamic feels here compared to the better known American iteration. Icons Marianne Faithfull and Alain Delon give beautiful performances.
Road to Paloma (2014), Rotten Tomatoes: ~57%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/road_to_paloma
This was a film which Jason Momoa wanted to make. He directs and stars as Wolf, a Native American on the run after vengeance turns personal. His cross-country ride becomes a quiet meditation on grief, identity, and justice, more mood than chase, with desert vistas and internal struggle. Beautifully filmed.
The Wild One (1953), Rotten Tomatoes: ~72%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_wild_one
No list of motorcycle movies would complete without The Wild One on it. Marlon Brando’s leather-clad Johnny helped create the modern biker archetype. The story based on the infamous 1948 “Hollister riot” is historically significant. The Wild One made motorcycles a cultural emblem and magnetized generations of filmmakers.
Dhoom (2004), Rotten Tomatoes: ~76%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhoom
Bollywood glitz meets superbike heist: sleek thieves, pumped-up stunts, and a cop who won’t back down. In the early 2000s arguably Dhoom reshaped Indian action cinema. Visually incredible, strongly acted, with amazing action sequences and breathtaking stunts, Dhoom is essential. The franchise features two more films, each one equally spectacular.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), Rotten Tomatoes: ~78%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_place_beyond_the_pines
A masterclass in storytelling. Ryan Gosling plays a stunt motorcyclist whose choices ripple across generations. Consequence and family legacy converge in a tragic and visually striking drama, with a major pivot midway through.
Burn Out (2017), Rotten Tomatoes: ~80%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/burn_out_2018
A tightly filmed French thriller about a pro racer pulled into a dangerous underworld situation. Fast, tense, and nocturnal, it’s a well paced story of a man racing for survival as much as speed. There is a Spanish remake of it called Centauro which I’d not seen, but it’s on my list.
The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Rotten Tomatoes: ~83%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_motorcycle_diaries
Based on Che Guevara’s memoir set in the early 1950s, this beautifully rendered road trip movie depicts the journey which helped shape the young Che’s outlook on the world. Lush landscapes, enlightening encounters, and a journey of a young man’s self discovery make this a very involving two-wheeled odyssey, and a faithful adaptation of the book.
The World’s Fastest Indian (2005), Rotten Tomatoes: ~83%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/worlds_fastest_indian
The great Anthony Hopkins gives a warm performance as Burt Munro — the New Zealander who chased a land-speed record on a 40 year old Indian Scout. Inspirational and quietly funny, this is a film about passion and persistence.
Dhak Dhak (2023), Rotten Tomatoes: ~85%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhak_dhak
Four very different women journey together to the highest motorable pass in the Himalayas. This a story about courage, sisterhood, and the transformative joy of riding. It’s a modern, uplifting take on what a biker film can be.
Quadrophenia (1979), Rotten Tomatoes: ~86%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/quadrophenia
An iconic British scooter film, but perhaps one not seen by many modern audiences? Quadrophenia is a gritty, electric portrait of Mods and Rockers in 1960s Britain. Identity, music, and movement collide; scooters and bikes function as badges of belonging and rebellion.
The Bikeriders (2023), Rotten Tomatoes: ~87%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bikeriders
Inspired by Danny Lyon’s photos, this dramatized look at 1960s motorcycle club culture explores loyalty, identity, and the slow fracturing of brotherhood — stylish, raw, and full of atmosphere. Some have said that this could serve as an alternate-universe imaginary “prequel” to the TV series Sons of Anarchy.
Easy Rider (1969), Rotten Tomatoes: ~88%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/easy_rider
Probably the most famous motorcycle film of all time. The archetypal American Road movie, a counterculture odyssey on two wheels. Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper’s journey is a portrait of freedom, disillusionment, and the price of living outside the mainstream. With an incredible soundtrack and also a great performance by a young Jack Nicholson, it’s inspired many subsequent films, and indeed rides. One such legacy film which deserves special mention here is Me & Will (1999). It pays homage to Easy Rider with a story of two women on a quest to find the legendary ‘Captain America’ bike.
Akira (1988), Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/akira
Possibly one the of the greatest animated films ever made, which set the standard for modern anime. It’s set in a post apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo in what was the future when it was made, and features one of cinema’s most iconic red motorcycles. Kaneda and his gang — and the devastating rise of Tetsuo — make Akira a landmark with its kinetic animation and a bike that’s as legendary as the film itself.
Roman Holiday (1953), Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roman_holiday
Another scooter film, perhaps the most enchanting on the list. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck share one of film history’s most charming rides, a somewhat chaotic Vespa tour through Rome. Hepburn plays an escapee princess and Peck a world weary journalist. Roman Holiday captures the essence of escape and joy that every motorcycle film surely aspires to, with equal portions of rebellion, romance and regret.
Touki Bouki (1973), Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Rotten Tomatoes link: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/touki_bouki
Djibril Diop Mambéty’s 1970s Senegalese masterpiece follows two young dreamers on a motorcycle decorated with cow horns as they chase fantasies of Parisian escape. Visually poetic, rebellious, and decades ahead of its time, Touki Bouki is a surreal and deeply influential meditation on freedom and identity — easily one of cinema’s greatest motorcycle journeys. Unlike much African cinema of its era which tended to be slow, epic and majestic, Touki Bouki (which means The Journey of the Hyena) is fast, hectic, almost frenetic at times. If you appreciate film as an art form, you should experience this one.
I hope that you will, in time, watch all of these. As I often say, motorcycle adventurers like us measure distances not only in miles but also in meaning. The films above offer a meaningful journey through history and geography, from the comfort of a chair at home or in the cinema. To paraphrase the great Ted Simon, the journey of the mind is as important as the journey across lands. These movies will hopefully take you on one.
Which ones have you seen? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!
Blac Ridere 