Canadian actor Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Reeves’ four decades-long career has had some of Hollywood’s biggest and most successful movies and franchises. Although he has starred in several genres, Keanu Reeves is mostly recognized as an action star, particularly because of his work in The Matrix and John Wick film series.
However, before and between these action film series, Keanu Reeves starred in several films that largely flew under the radar. Interestingly, Reeves joins the list of actors who have yet to receive an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nomination. Largely regarded as one of Hollywood’s favorite actors, here are 7 Keanu Reeves’ underrated movies.
1. My Own Private Idaho
Years before Keanu Reeves began his gun-slinging action sequences, My Own Private Idaho saw him cast in a dramatic role. The movie, directed by Gus Van Sant, cast Keanu Reeves as Scott Favor, a privileged young man rebelling against his wealthy upbringing. Scott spends his time on the streets of Portland, engaging in hustling and petty crime alongside his best friend, Mike Waters (River Phoenix). Besides being a hustler, Mike is a narcoleptic drifter in search of his lost mother.
Although several audiences complained about its storyline, My Own Private Idaho explores themes of sexuality, self-discovery, and betrayal. It’s easy to see why it is one of Keanu Reeves’ underrated roles. At the time, Reeves was known for roles in lighter films like Bill & Ted’s films. As such, his role as Scott Favor was an against-type performance. Although Keanu Reeves’s performance didn’t receive much acclaim at the time, it has since been reassessed as one of his grounded performances.
2. Much Ado About Nothing
For much of his career and as a leading man, Keanu Reeves has been known to play the protagonist. However, in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, Reeves portrays the primary antagonist, Don John. Like the play, Don John is a brooding, butter character who schemes to sabotage the happiness of others. After his brother Don Pedro (portrayed by Denzel Washington) successfully match-make Count Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Hero (Kate Beckinsale), Don John seeks to sabotage the union and ensure their wedding is canceled.
Much Ado About Nothing also starred Kenneth Branagh (as Benedick), Emma Thompson (as Beatrice), Richard Briers (as Leonato), Michael Keaton )as Dogberry), and Imelda Staunton (as Margaret). Also, at the time Much Ado About Nothing was released, Keanu Reeves was largely associated with roles in contemporary, laid-back films, with audiences judging his Shakespearean performance through those lenses. However, unbeknownst to many, Reeves had a background as a theater actor before transitioning to screen. His performance as Don John remains one of his underrated roles.
3. The Devil’s Advocate
After a few panned performances, Taylor Hackford’s supernatural horror The Devil’s Advocate helped bounce Keanu Reeves’ career back on track. His performance in the movie is underrated, mostly because he was still being judged by the disappointment of his previous movies. In The Devil’s Advocate, Reeves played Kevin Lomax, a hotshot young lawyer from Florida who’s recruited by a powerful New York law firm.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that his new boss, John Milton (Al Pacino), is actually Satan in disguise. Charlize Theron played Reeves’s on-screen wife, Mary Ann Lomax. Keanu Reeves’ Southern accent received criticism for being inconsistent, which might have distracted audiences from appreciating the depth of his performance. Besides, sharing the screen with a veteran like Al Pacino overshadowed Reeves’ performance. In truth, and in ignoring these drawbacks, Reeves was exceptional in the role of a lawyer.
4. The Gift
Although not cast in the lead role, Keanu Reeves delivers a performance as an abusive and unfaithful husband in The Gift. He played Donnie Barksdale, a violent man accused of murdering a young woman, Jessica King (Katie Holmes). The role was a significant departure from Reeves’ typically heroic or likable characters. Often labeled as having limited emotional range, Reeves’ performance was underrated yet again because it was an against-type role. However, Reeves delivered a chilling and intense portrayal of a deeply flawed and volatile man. Keanu Reeves held his own alongside The Gift’s star-studded cast, which included Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank, and J. K. Simmons.
5. Constantine
Francis Lawrence’s superhero horror film Constantine was loosely based on the Hellblazer graphic novels. This was one of the reasons the movie and Keanu Reeves’ performance are underrated. Fans of the Hellblazer comics were critical of Reeves’ casting, as his version of Constantine lacked some of the character’s trademark attributes. These misaligned expectations affected the film’s critical reviews, which were mixed to average.
However, over the years, judging the movie and Reeves’ character solely by his performance, Constantine gained a cult following. In an era of perceived “superhero fatigue,” Constantine is a must-watch for any fan of the genre looking for something supernatural to watch. Reeves was joined by Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, and Djimon Hounsou, who played significant characters.
6. A Scanner Darkly
The critics loved Richard Linklater’s 2006 animated adult sci-fi thriller A Scanner Darkly. However, audiences felt otherwise, with Box Office earnings failing to break even its production budget. With the film shot digitally and then animated, Reeves played Bob Arctor, an undercover cop in a dystopian near-future society plagued by drug addiction and surveillance. Arctor is tasked with infiltrating a group of addicts using/abusing Substance D. A Scanner Darkly’s storyline has several plot twists that would have kept today’s audiences captivated. At the time, the film’s unique interpolated rotoscope animation may have distracted audiences from fully appreciating its storyline and Reeves’ performance.
7. Street Kings
David Ayer’s 2008 Street Kings is one of the most underrated action thrillers of the late 2000s. By the time the movie was released, Keanu Reeves had already established himself as an action star. Reeves played Detective Tom Ludlow, a hardened and morally conflicted LAPD officer navigating corruption within his department. Often associated with stoic, heroic roles, Reeves portrayed Detective Ludlow as a darker, flawed, and human character. Street Kings enjoyed success at the Box Office, tripling its $20 million production budget to earn $66.5 million. However, the movie was critically panned by critics. Besides these Keanu Reeves underrated roles, check out these movies loved by audiences but hated by critics.
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