Former Hells Angels member rates 11 biker gang scenes in movies

Former Hells Angels chapter president Pat Matter breaks down biker gang scenes in movies and television, such as "Sons of Anarchy," for realism.

Matter breaks down the accuracy of the activities and culture of outlaw motorcycle clubs, such as episodes from "Sons of Anarchy," from its portrayal of a motorcycle chase to the importance of club tattoos and attire — such as the kutte and leather jacket; as well as rivalries among outlaw motorcycle clubs — including the rivalry between the Outlaws and the Hells Angel — in "Mayans M.C." He also covers common tropes in biker movies, such as the bar brawl in "A Bronx Tale," with Robert De Niro; the importance of patches in "one-percenter" motorcycle clubs in "The Bikeriders," starring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy; the use of clubs, chains, and knives in the fight scene in "Reacher" S2E4 (2023); and the clubhouse scene "Daredevil" S2E1 (2016). Matter discusses life during and after joining the Hells Angels, such as the initiation ceremony for a prospect in "Hells Angels on Wheels," starring Jack Nicholson; the role of women in outlaw motorcycle clubs in "Yellowstone" S3E4 (2020); and the plausibility of law enforcement going undercover to infiltrate outlaw motorcycle clubs in "Beyond the Law," with Charlie Sheen.

Matter was the president and founder of the Minneapolis chapter of the Hells Angels and was involved with outlaw motorcycle clubs for 31 years. In 2003, Matter was sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal prison for money laundering and distribution of methamphetamine. After he agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and testify in other drug cases across the nation, his sentence was reduced to 10 years. Upon completing his prison sentence, Matter has since participated in seminars with law enforcement and cowrote a book with Chris Omodt — the police officer who spearheaded Matter's case — called "Breaking the Code: A True Story by a Hells Angel President and the Cop Who Pursued Him."

You can find "Breaking the Code: A True Story by a Hells Angel President and the Cop Who Pursued Him" here.