11 of the best Keanu Reeves films to re-watch now

Keanu Reeves in 1994. Image credit: Supplied

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Though once best known for his roles in 1990s action films, Keanu Reeves has experienced a renaissance of late —“the Keanussance”—and been declared the internet’s boyfriend. Why? There are his random acts of kindness, extensively documented via Reddit; that Saint Laurent ad, shot by David Sims; the time he played with puppies; not to mention his ability to make even the most mundane of acts—like eating a sandwich on a park bench—the source of international attention. (Also, his profound musings. What happens when we die, Stephen Colbert asked? “I know that the ones who love us will miss us,” Reeves replied. Deep.)

It helps too that despite being an A-list actor for decades, he remains utterly enigmatic. We know that he was born in Beirut and has English and Chinese-Hawaiian ancestry. His youth was spent moving around the world, from Sydney to New York, before eventually settling in Toronto. We know he used to play ice hockey and that he rides a motorcycle. We also know that he’s suffered great tragedy. In the late 1990s, his girlfriend Jennifer Syme gave birth to their child, who was stillborn. Less than two years later, Syme died in a car accident. Reeves now lives in Beverly Hills, but his private life—despite the rampant rumour mill—remains a mystery.

Though he may find our admiration “wacky”, we think it is perfectly justified. And to prove our point, here are 11 of his best film appearances, from the 1990s to now.

1. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
Before Beavis and Butt-Head, before Dumb and Dumber, there was Bill & Ted. A pair of airheads, Reeves’s Ted and Bill (Alex Winter) travel through time, collecting historical figures in a bid to not fail their history oral exam. In the sequel, the duo are older but none the wiser. After being killed by robot doubles of themselves, they challenge the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) to a series of games in order to return to the land of the living. Earlier this year, it was announced that the saga would return, only this time they’re travelling into the future.

2. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Gus Van Sant’s loose adaptation of Henry IV is best remembered for River Phoenix’s performance as Mike, a spiritually adrift, narcoleptic gay hustler, but Reeves plays an important role too. As Scott Favor, he is the perfect unattainable object of affection—Mike’s best friend, equally adrift but happy to float through life, safe in the knowledge that thanks to his privilege, his future is taken care of. Together they travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and Italy, in a bid to find Mike’s long-lost mother.

Top: Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in a scene from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Image credit: Supplied

Bottom: Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho. Image credit: Supplied

3. Point Break (1991)
As Johnny Utah, an undercover FBI agent with a busted knee, Reeves infiltrates a gang of bank-robbing surfers led by Codhi (Patrick Swayze), only to fall in love with Tyler (Lori Petty) and be cast under the crew’s spell. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film is packed with both action and philosophical questions. This is a true cult classic.

Keanu Reeves in a scene from Point Break. Image credit: Supplied

4. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Even Reeves admitted he didn’t ace this role, but that aside, Francis Ford Coppola’s film deserves a special place in our collective hearts for bringing Reeves and Winona Ryder together. (Ryder thinks the pair are technically still legally wed.) As Jonathan Harker, Reeves is imprisoned by Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) after the 15th-century Vlad falls in love with his bride, Mina (Ryder). Legally wed or not, the duo met on screen again in 2018’s Destination Wedding, possibly the most contradictory rom-com of all time.

5. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Despite being a devout Shakespeare fan—King Lear is his favourite—Reeves is not particularly blessed with the eloquence the Bard requires. As the meddling Don John in Kenneth Branagh’s take starring Kate Beckinsale, Denzel Washington and Emma Thompson, he proves to be as deadpan as he is handsome. His line “I am not of many words” is, as the memes would say, iconic.

Keanu Reeves in a scene from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Image credit: Supplied

6. Speed (1994)
Unabashedly ridiculous, Speed sees Reeves reprise the role of can-do hunky LA cop Jack Traven as he does everything he can to save a busload of passengers, including Annie (Sandra Bullock), his love interest. The bus, of course, has been turned into a moving bomb by a disgruntled colleague and will explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour. (See? Ridiculous.) Is a life-and-death situation like this the right time to flirt with a complete stranger? Probably not, but Bullock and Reeves have serious chemistry, so all is forgiven.

Keanu Reeves in a scene from Speed. Image credit: Richard Foreman/Supplied.

7. The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Arguably one of his most famous roles, Reeves stars as Neo, the counterculture hacker turned saviour in Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s sci-fi trilogy. The cyber-thriller operated on multiple levels, effectively redefining what an action film could be. Beyond razor-sharp fight scenes, there were questions of technology’s all-consuming power and, most importantly, in Reeves, a hero who doesn’t fit in with the machismo of Hollywood’s heroes at the time. Reeves can feel.

8. Thumbsucker (2005)
In Mike Mills’s debut film, Reeves shines for his good cheer and emotional honesty. As Dr Perry Lyman, the suburban orthodontist, he helps Justin (Lou Pucci) overcome his introverted ways to become the star of his school’s debating club. “Aren’t you just my orthodontist?” asks Justin in a scene. “I like to think of myself as more than that,” says Reeves. Funny and fabulous.

Keanu Reeves in scene from The Matrix. Image credit: Supplied

9. Constantine (2005)
“Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him.” That was the strapline for Francis Lawrence’s film, based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer. The laconic cynicism of Reeves works, as he wanders earth, exorcising demons back to hell as a means of atoning for a failed suicide attempt. Though he’s grown weary of trying to gain favour with heaven, he helps Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) learn the truth about her twin sister’s death. All hell literally breaks loose.

Keanu Reeves in a scene from Constantine. Image credit: Supplied

10. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Philip K. Dick’s adaptation is a dark, jittery realm of paranoia. Using interpolated rotoscoping, a form of animation technology, it tells the tale of a drug cop (Reeves) who is hiding his own addiction while living in a nightmarish police state. Plot aside, it proves just how dynamic Reeves’s acting is. Even in animate form, he is bewitching.

Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder in a scene from A Scanner Darkly. Image credit: AP Photo/Warner Independent Pictures

11. John Wick (2014), John Wick: Chapter Two (2017), and John Wick: Chapter Three—Parabellum (2019)
Another thrilogy, Reeves takes on the role of widowed master assassin John Wick. Deep in mourning, his prized car is stolen and his puppy is killed, unleashing his inner killing machine as he seeks revenge. It is an action flick, sure, but Reeves is soulful; exhausted, physically and emotionally in pain, he is utterly commanding. Surprising moments of humour are elevated by Reeves’s meme-spawning delivery. And he rides around the streets of New York on a horse. Enough said.

Keanu Reeves in a scene from John Wick: Chapter Two. Image credit: Supplied