Okay, "The Bikeriders" - Leather Jackets & Looming Dread? Thoughts?

So I just saw "The Bikeriders," and I'm...conflicted. On one hand, Austin Butler looking brooding on a motorcycle? Yes, please. The whole aesthetic of the late '60s biker gang was undeniably cool, even if it was deliberately grimy. But underneath all that leather and engine revving, I kept waiting for the romance to really kick in, you know? Kathy (Jodie Comer) is clearly obsessed with Benny, and he's all mysterious and stuff, but I felt like their connection was more...implied than truly felt? Like, there's this underlying tension of Kathy KNOWING Benny is probably gonna self-destruct, and maybe she can save him, but the film seemed more interested in the Vandals' descent into chaos than exploring that dynamic deeply. Did anyone else feel that way? I was hoping for a "bad boy softened by strong woman" trope payoff, but it felt...unfinished. And speaking of the Vandals, the supporting cast was great (Tom Hardy! Michael Shannon!), but were they too good? Like, the side stories threatened to overshadow the supposed central romance. I kept getting distracted by the violence that was brewing, and then I'd think, "Oh yeah, there's supposed to be love too?" Maybe I'm just too much of a rom-com addict, but did anyone else feel like it was a bit of a bait-and-switch in terms of the focus? I still enjoyed it, but was it the love story I was hoping for? Nah. I think there could have been more depth. Also, small detail but it BOTHERED ME: Kathy's accent! Supposedly Midwestern, but felt a little inconsistent to me. Anyone else notice/get distracted by that? Just curious! Let me know your thoughts, I'm always up for a good movie discussion.