Directed by Richard Rush (The Stunt Man) and written by R. Wright Campbell, this is the tale of Poet (Jack Nicholson), a gas station attendant with a short fuse and a soul-crushing job. When a run-in with the notorious Hells Angels leaves his bike damaged, Poet doesn’t cower. Instead, he demands restitution. This display of suicidal bravery impresses the club’s charismatic leader, Buddy (Adam Roarke), who invites Poet to trade his mundane life for a permanent seat on the open road.

As a “prospect,” Poet is initiated into a subculture of beer-soaked brawls, police harassment, and brutal turf wars. However, the actual danger isn’t the rival clubs or the law; it’s the volatile romantic triangle that forms between Poet, Buddy, and Buddy’s restless girlfriend, Shill (Sabrina Scharf). What begins as a quest for freedom quickly spirals into a claustrophobic power struggle where the code of the road is tested by jealousy and betrayal.

“The violence, the hate, the way-out parties…exactly as it happens!” Roger Ebert said, “The film is better than it might have been, and better than it had to be.” He noted that, unlike so many other biker movies, everyone in this looks filthy, as they should.

Shot on location in Northern California, the film utilized actual members of the Hells Angels (including Sonny Barger) as extras and technical advisors, lending an unsettling air of legitimacy to the way-out parties and chaotic ride sequences. While Nicholson was still a few years away from Easy Rider, his performance here serves as the blueprint for the rebellious, anti-authority persona that would define his career.

You can watch this on YouTube.