Biker films and I— well, we don’t always get along. We have, I suppose, what can best be described as a complicated relationship. They run the gamut from Eric Von Zipper… who I adore, by the way, to some truly gritty, grimy and borderline unpleasant films. 

Taking all that baggage into account, I was perhaps a bit conflicted when I stumbled on The Hard Ride. It was a biker film… hear me out… starring Robert Fuller. 

I am, my friends, a Robert Fuller fangirl going back far longer than I probably should probably admit. My high-school Jack Webb phase (that’s a story for another write-up!) led me to Emergency! and Fuller’s Dr. Kelly Brackett was my physician of choice. 

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Well, I’ve been deep down a Laramie rabbit hole of late and found myself sucked back into old patterns. Now, as an adult with streaming subscriptions, there’s so much more to dive into!

I hear what you’re saying… get on with it. 

The Hard Ride was, to be blunt, not that hard of a ride. In fact, it was pretty breezy. 

Sure, it’s a 1970s biker film. There’s a bit of Vietnam dribbled in. There’s a smattering of political messaging. In the grand scheme of things, though, this feels like the “bubblegum rock” of the biker genre… and I really vibed with easy breeziness. 

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The Hard Ride follows a marine (Robert Fuller) who, after his friend is killed in Vietnam, is tasked with not only accompanying his remains home, but finalizing his last wishes. One of those is to have his old gang present at his funeral. Sherry Bain, Tony Russell, William Bonner and Marshall Reed co-star in the film. Burt Topper directs The Hard Ride from his own script. 

Some will certainly appreciate the, what feels like, plentiful moments of unintentional hilarity; however, I had a different take. The Hard Ride is too pure for this world. I never thought I would say those words about a biker film. 

This starts early, as Fuller’s character, still clad in his uniform, hops on his new motorcycle which is, adorably, nicknamed “Baby”. Just wait: it gets better. In a moment of that made me chuckle, the song playing over the scene is called “Fallin’ in Love with Baby”. 

I know. I know.

The film, for me at least, was at its strongest into the second act. This is when The Hard Ride is at its most relaxed. It’s a lot of montages in beautiful locations shot with dreamy camerawork. Those who like a soft-’70s soundtrack? This music is killer. 

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This is Big Sur 1970s chic. It makes riding around on the back of a motorcycle, your hands around Robert Fuller’s waist and your highly teased hair streaming behind you, look really good. 

I was less won over in the first and third acts. This is when The Hard Ride leans more into its serious biker roots. 

As a message picture, in 2025 at least, the script struggles to land. It tries to inject some political and racial politics into the narrative, but it’s the Diet Coke version. Then, once the unintentional hilarity is factored in, any sting there once was has largely dulled due to the passage of time. 

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I was left, though, more than a little intrigued by actress Sherry Bain as Sheryl. The actress makes her debut in The Hard Ride and shines in her quiet strength. She gets a few “Yas Queen!” moments when the rest of the film struggles to make its point. She’s one I can’t wait to check more out in her filmography. 

When all is said and done though, The Hard Ride isn’t actually that hard at all. Those looking for some grit or a message in their biker picture might be severely disappointed. For me though, this ‘great taste, less filling’ feature hit just the right spot. It flows and meanders — like a James Taylor or Gordon Lightfoot song translated into film form. It’s so ‘70s — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Hard Ride is currently streaming on Tubi.