Overview
Two free spirits embark on a journey of self-discovery across America, challenging societal norms along the way.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- rebellious
- psychedelic
- wistful
- classic film night
- road movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an edgy, seminal expression of 1960s counterculture, praised for its photography, rock soundtrack, and Jack Nicholson's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wyatt and Billy ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans, encountering communes, prisons, strangers, and hostility along the highway.
Motorcycle travel, outdoor sleeping, and wide American landscapes make the road a recurring image of autonomy and possibility.
Wyatt and Billy are threatened and punished not only for their actions but for representing hippie values and alternative lifestyles.
Wyatt repeatedly reassesses whether the trip and the future funded by the drug deal match his deeper desires.
Films like Easy Rider, and why
Thelma & Louise
shared road movie structure, countercultural rebellion, freedom-seeking protagonists, and social alienation
Five Easy Pieces
shared new hollywood naturalism, disillusionment with american society, and restless travel through the united states
The Wild One
shared motorcycle culture, masculine alienation, anti-establishment themes, and an uneasy relationship with freedom
The Trip
shared counterculture setting, psychedelic atmosphere, and tragic collision between individual freedom and social intolerance
Movie Details
- Director
- Dennis Hopper
- Release Date
- 1969-06-26
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (2235)
Cast
- Peter Fonda
- Dennis Hopper
- Jack Nicholson
- Antonio Mendoza
- Phil Spector
- Mac Mashourian
- Warren Finnerty
- Tita Colorado
- Luke Askew
- Luana Anders
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Easy Rider about?
- Two motorcycle-riding hippies cross a hostile America toward Mardi Gras, discovering that the freedom they chase is shadowed by fear, violence, and uncertainty.
- What is Easy Rider like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Easy Rider as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Easy Rider violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Easy Rider as brutal.
- What did critics think of Easy Rider?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an edgy, seminal expression of 1960s counterculture, praised for its photography, rock soundtrack, and Jack Nicholson's performance.
- Which films are like Easy Rider?
- Films with a similar feel include Thelma & Louise, Five Easy Pieces, The Wild One, and The Trip.
- How long is Easy Rider?
- Easy Rider runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Easy Rider?
- In United States, Easy Rider streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
