Keanu Reeves 7 Greatest Performances Ranked

Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut and raised in Toronto and has become a leading man who is both celebrated and paradoxical. His skills include martial arts, poetry writing, and speaking like a Buddhist monk. He has starred in a wide range of films since his early days as the quintessential stoner, then as an action hero, a romantic comedic love interest, and once as the voice for a dog in the aptly titled Keanu. It’s about time we at Let’s Talk Movies break down the top 7 best Keanu Reeves movies.

7. A Scanner Darkly

Keanu Reeves plays a narcotics cop addicted to drugs in A Scanner Darkly, an animated thriller that plays like a depressed cartoon. The film is sort of funny and kind of morose, but exactly that – kind of good. Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1977 novel, there’s plenty of intellectual depth to explore, but the pace and aesthetic make the dig too laborious. It should come as no surprise that Reeves plays the part to the hilt, making us sympathize with this poor schlub. Not his best work.

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6. The Replacements

Even though The Replacements isn’t a big “thinking movie,” it is darn good Keanu fun, and we are always game for that. When their star athletes go on strike, a pro football team is forced to choose replacement players from the average population. A rag-tag group of drunks and has-beens come together as a team under the leadership of (you guessed it), Keanu Reeves. The film is loosely based on the Redskins’ 1987 strike, but Keanu makes it a feel-good flick even if you don’t care about football. If we were football fans, we would follow you anywhere.

5. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

A young Keanu Reeves in the role of Ted makes our favourite slacker duo complete with his stoner squints and shredding performance. The story follows two California dolt teens as they discover a time machine and travel back in time to meet historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Joan of Arc. Bill & Ted is ranked on Rolling Stone’s best stoner movies list and known for the iconic movie quote: “Excellent!” Keanu was a stoner actor at the beginning of his career, and he adapted the Van Halen tee for a sequel in Bill & Ted 2.2.2. This is Keanu’s best stoner role.

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4. Speed

In the 1994 popcorn thriller Speed, Keanu buzzed his characteristic shaggy locks. Reeves plays LA bomb squad specialist Jack who must not only track down terrorist Dennis Hopper, but also stop a high-speed bus (and train) to save Sandra Bullock. After the success of Point Break, Reeves was thrust into the stratosphere of action hero hunks and away from the goofy stoner image. With his stoic and calm acting, he keeps the viewer hooked and excitedly on the edge of their seats. When Keanu refused to sign a second contract, the studio blacklisted him to Fox’s “movie jail” for over a decade. His performance was outstanding. Given that Reeves turned down a potentially shit sequel, the single installment is all the more enjoyable. And this him that much more beloved.ven more.

3. Point Break

Patrick Swayze plays Johnny Utah, a young federal agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a group of bank-robbing surfers. When he starred in this 1991 hit, Reeves was only 21 years old and apparently rode a motorcycle to set every day while acting his freakin’ heart out. As an action film, Point Break delivers all the thrills, but in his meditative Keanu way, Reeves turned it into a film that leaves you with profound and lasting thoughts. In an interview, Reeves said his fans approach him most to talk about Point Break out of all his films. A perfect amalgamation of Reeves’ best work, Bill and Ted meets John Wick.

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2. John Wich

Though I wanted John Wick to be at the top of the list, I had to settle for second after much thought and consideration. I think John Wick is the best action movie franchise of the 2010s, and perhaps even the best of the 2000s. What is it about an actor who is so deeply connected to action films like The Matrix and Speed that makes us forget all the rest? It’s Keanu’s magic, baby, and it’s especially strong in this neo-noir thriller about the hitman underworld and a retired gun who wants vengeance. John Wick is a grizzled assassin known as “the boogeyman” by his fellow killers. He’s unbeatable, but he knows how to bleed like no other. Reeves plays the grizzled yet precise John Wick. In overly-creative fight scenes, Reeves flexes his physical prowess and wears that black-on-black suit like it’s a crime. Now that a fourth installment of Wick is set for release in 2022, I’m eagerly anticipating his return.

1. The Matrix

For the sake of time, we’ll loop in all the Matrix movies and name the franchise Keanu’s number one on-screen performance. There was no doubt, not a shred of doubt, that The Matrix would top the list of Best Keanu Reeves Movies. After all, the guy is Neo after all. In addition to Reeves’ co-star Sandra Bullock, Will Smith was also considered for the role. Keanu turned the role of a computer programmer turned digital-alternate-reality messiah into the cult figure it is today. The Matrix wouldn’t have been as successful without Reeves’ touching vulnerability and child-like curiosity. He makes the unimaginable seem possible. That’s why we chose the red pill over the blue.

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