The Keanu Reeves Movie You Should Watch Based On Your Mood
Keanu Reeves has, believe it or not, been one of Hollywood's biggest stars for almost four decades now. "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" may have been his breakthrough role, but it was far from his first, and as iconic as it was, it never locked him into one genre. But then, if you're a fan of Reeves, you already know this. Between "Bill & Ted Face the Music" and "The Matrix: Resurrections," the last couple of years have been a great time for the actor and his longtime fans. But what's next? Not for him, of course, but for us.
"John Wick: Chapter 4" is still at least a year away, so what are we supposed to do until then? Well, there are plenty of other movies to watch. Reeves' catalogue of films is extensive, covering everything from bonkers comedies to tear-jerking dramas. In fact, he's made enough movies at this point that you should have no problem finding something to watch no matter what you're in the mood for.
So instead of asking Netflix to recommend a film — or worse, scrolling endlessly through your streaming services trying to find something that catches your eye — why not take a look at how you're feeling and pick something that speaks to you? If you're not sure how to get started, don't worry, that's why we're here. Whether you're feeling good, bad, or some "meh" in between, we've compiled a list of Keanu Reeves movies for you to watch based on your mood.
Having a lazy, goofy day? Time for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Okay, this one is a no-brainer. And yes, we mean that literally — you can just turn your brain off and enjoy the movie. That's not to say it's dumb, but everybody knows and loves "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." It's the ultimate comfort movie and follows Bill S. Preston, Esquire, and Ted "Theodore" Logan as they bounce haplessly and happily throughout time collecting famous personages for their school project.
They're the ultimate slackers who somehow manage to pull it together and overcome their lack of ambition to not only ace their school project but turn the world into a utopia. Everything from George Carlin's too cool for school Rufus to Napoleon Bonaparte's obsession with water slides is silly, goofy fun. Plus, it just makes you feel good. Everyone should be as easy-going and good-natured as Bill and Ted. If they were, the world would be a better place — which is kind of the point of the movie.
Sometime in the future, their example is channeled through their music and inspires the whole world to put aside its differences and live in peace, harmony, and excellence toward each other. Granted, this gets muddled a bit in the sequels, but that's not the point. The point is this movie lets you know that sometimes it's okay to just unwind, quiet your mind, and have fun. The world isn't going to end. In fact, you might just make it a better place.
Feeling adrift in life? Watch My Own Private Idaho
Close your eyes and picture the wind blowing through a field of corn on the side of the highway. Now open them and give "My Own Private Idaho" a watch because you're in the right frame of mind. Casual Keanu Reeves fans may not, admittedly, be that familiar with "My Own Private Idaho." Gus Van Sant's acclaimed film was released just after the irreverent "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" and straddles the line between art-house and mainstream.
"Idaho" follows the late River Phoenix's narcoleptic Mike, and much of the movie is filtered through his eyes as he drifts in and out of consciousness. Sometimes you wander around adrift as life takes you on a journey to find out who you are and where you came from. Other times, you end up in the brilliantly bizarre Udo Kier's hotel room where you, let's just say, earn a little extra money. That's the danger of living such a disconnected life.
Mike's not always sure of where he is or how he got there as he and Reeves' Scott drift through their young lives as hustlers. They're both estranged from their families, though Scott's just rebelling against his rich father, while Mike doesn't know who his father is or where his mother lives. They're ostensibly best friends, but as Scott accompanies Mike on his search for his mother, it becomes heartbreakingly clear how disjointed their feelings toward each other are.
Want a little romance? Go for Bram Stoker's Dracula
Believe it or not, there was a time when vampires weren't synonymous with romance. When "Bram Stoker's Dracula" burst onto the world in 1992, "Interview With a Vampire" was still two years off, and fare like "Twilight" and "True Blood" weren't even whispers in anyone's minds. Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" was something new — a departure from the brightly colored, blood-soaked Hammer films or suavely sinister Universal movies. This was a muted return to the dark romance of the novel. Emphasis on the romance.
Everything about the movie — from the lush set pieces to moody visuals — sets the tone. And then there's the love story itself. Not between Keanu Reeves' hapless Jonathan Harker and his fiancée, Mina, but between her and Dracula himself. While at times monstrous-looking, this Count is more of a tragic figure than past vampiric descriptions.
There is, without a doubt, something evil and sinister about him, but by the end of the film, you can't help but feel your heartbreak a little for this man who's lived too long and has lost the love of his life — only to find her again in the most unlikely of places. Granted, Reeves tries his best, but he can't quite keep up with Gary Oldman's immortal vampire. But then that's exactly what the tale is about: Harker's simple love can't keep up with Dracula's tragic passion. And as Mina demonstrates, few things are as heart-achingly romantic as that.
Hyper and full of energy? You need some Speed
Is there anyone who doesn't love "Speed"? There's the suave, cool, and capable Keanu Reeves as Los Angeles cop, Jack; a goofy, strong, and brave Sandra Bullock playing passenger-turned-bus driver Annie; and Dennis Hopper's completely unhinged mad bomber, Howard. And if we're being honest, that's the best kind of Dennis Hopper out there. The movie's a manic thrill-ride from its first moments, opening with hostages trapped on an elevator rigged to blow as Jack and Jeff Daniels' detective, Harry, work to get them out.
The elevator's just small stuff, of course. The big show is on an out-of-control Los Angeles bus, which is where the action really starts. The film, oddly enough, never feels claustrophobic, even though much of the action is confined to that giant bomb on wheels that can never get below 50 miles per hour.
Actually, that isn't even that fast — so long as the bus stays on the highway and doesn't have to careen through traffic — but much of the title's speed comes from the movie itself. It's the perfect movie for folks feeling wired and energetic. It isn't bloated or overblown, but its energy is tight and channeled. You don't need to slow down, and the bus can't slow down, so just roll with it. Literally. It's an ideal way to channel our own energy without going haywire like Howard.
Longing for something you can't have? Try A Walk in the Clouds
"A Walk in the Clouds" is an interesting film. The official trailer presents it as a feel-good period piece. Keanu Reeves' Paul pretends to be the husband of a pregnant woman he just met, Victoria, in order to save her honor in her father's eyes. Naturally, they fall in love. That's not entirely wrong, but there's more nuance to it than that, and this description completely leaves out the film's deeper emotions.
Paul's actually returning home from World War II to a wife he married the day before being deployed. He's traumatized and has PTSD, and his wife, Betty, is disinterested in him at best. When he meets Victoria, he's been trying to make his marriage work. But then he gets wrapped up in this new woman's world, and their fake relationship slowly builds into something more. It's not a simple love story, but a story about a bittersweet longing for something you can't have. It grows worse as he also builds a relationship with her family, something he'd — as an orphan — never had.
Sometimes the film may veer close to melodrama, but for the most part, it's a great period escape for those of us pining over someone beyond our reach. It's a longing that we can cling to for its aching beauty, even as we know that eventually, we'll have to return to reality. Walking in the clouds is lovely, but clouds alone can't hold us aloft.
Battling a touch of paranoia? Take a peek at The Devil's Advocate
Do you always feel like somebody's watching you? Well, unless you're Rockwell, you might want to talk to somebody about that, because that's more than a touch of paranoia. That's a handful, and watching "The Devil's Advocate" will not help you. But if you sometimes feel like that or just feel like the world is out to get you, join the club. Then watch a movie about what it's actually like when everyone's out to get you and realize things could be much worse.
When Keanu Reeves' small-time lawyer, Kevin, hits the big leagues after joining the big city firm belonging to Al Pacino's a-bit-too-aptly-named John Milton, we quickly learn that no one can be trusted. And we mean no one. Not new friends, new neighbors, or new co-workers — hell, not even Kevin's new clients. They're all either demons or in willing league with demons. Their sole purpose is to lure Kevin to Satan's side, even if that means destroying Kevin's wife, Mary Ann, in the process.
The world may not be plotting against Kevin, but all the forces of hell certainly are. So if you find yourself feeling like folks are whispering behind your back or deliberately throwing obstacles in your way, we all do at times. But at least you don't have the devil lurking over your shoulder. At least, we're pretty sure you don't.
Feeling out of place? The Matrix is for you
There are times in virtually all of our lives when we feel out of place — not just in the world around us, but sometimes even in our own skin. Nothing feels quite right, and we wander through our days, disconnected from the reality around us. In "The Matrix," there's a reason why folks feel that way — they really don't belong. "Reality" isn't real, and there's no actual skin to be comfortable in. The Matrix is just a computer's approximation of life. It's an amazing approximation, of course, but there's still a part of everyone who knows that something's off. That it's just not right.
That feeling is why the "Matrix" films have resonated especially powerfully with transgender folks. They've long embraced the "Matrix" films as high-tech science fiction allegories for their lives, even before the Wachowskis came out as transgender themselves. And it's something the Wachowskis say was always meant to be there, as Lilly explained to the BBC.
Do you take the red pill or the blue pill? Neo makes his choice and breaks out of the world he's presented with, becoming almost godlike in the process. Real-life isn't quite so dramatic — we can't dodge bullets or fly — but the point is we can become our better selves by rejecting the reality we're forced into and embracing our own. It takes an incredible amount of strength, but if Neo can do it, so can we.
Feeling fun and flirty? Watch Something's Gotta Give
"Something's Gotta Give" is a definite product of its times — a gentle rom-com of the late '90s and early aughts. That's not a bad thing, though. The film is light and breezy without ever descending into stupidity or awkwardness, which, if you're doing it right, is exactly how flirting should go. Admittedly, though, flirting is anything but easy to do right.
Diane Keaton's Erica and Jack Nicholson's Harry are two older, powerful, opinionated New Yorkers who are thrown together in the Hamptons (everyone in this world is rich, just go with it) and slowly fall for each other despite their better judgment. They have their ups and downs and battles (it wouldn't be a good rom-com without opposites falling for each other), but one of the more unique complications is Keanu Reeves' doctor, Julian. He also falls for Erica and — on paper, at least — is a lot better fit than Harry, age difference aside.
To be clear, this isn't a raunchy teen comedy where flirtatiousness and sexting become conflated. Julian's gentle, warm flirting contrasts with Harry's more abrasive and contentious kind as "Something's Gotta Give" does its darndest to teach us that no matter your age — or your age difference — love is always possible. And for folks of a certain age, the rush of hearing those IM dings will bring a flush of nostalgia that's almost as good as the blush of early love.
Feeling aloof? Watch Constantine
Those familiar with British trickster John Constantine — whether from the comics, the cartoons, or even "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" — will be quick to tell you that the 2005 "Constantine" with Keanu Reeves is not about that character. And they aren't exactly wrong — the American film has little to do with its British source material or its characters. But taken on its own merits, "Constantine" is not a bad supernatural flick. And there is one thing it nailed about the character: him being an aloof, borderline jerk. Oh, and the smoking.
Reeves' John Constantine oozes distance the entire movie as he swoops in, exorcizes demons, and vanishes from people's lives. The only person he seems to have the remotest of connections with is his assistant/driver, Chas. Everyone else is just a tool for him to use. That is, of course, until he gets tangled up in Angela's mess with her suicidal sister.
Constantine may go about saving folks from the supernatural, but his acts of heroism are more practical than empathic. He just wants to do what he needs to and move on, which makes his rare selfless acts all the more impactful. He spends so much of his life avoiding entanglements that when he truly is noble, it lends him a power that goes beyond his magic. There are worse characters to empathize with when you're feeling like disconnecting from folks. At least Constantine knows to never quite let it turn him into one of the monsters he's fighting.
Had your heart broken? Check out John Wick
To be clear, "John Wick" is not a movie about the sadness that comes with breaking up after a three-week relationship. It's about heartache after unbearable loss. It's the pain that burns into your soul and mingles melancholy and rage. It's when you lose someone, and a part of you just wants to burn the world down for being so cruelly unfair. In "John Wick," burning the world down is exactly what the titular character does.
Wick was an assassin working for a breathtakingly extensive underworld who escaped the life for love. He stayed away until the woman who saved his soul died of a terminal illness — but not before she left him with a puppy that gives him a place to channel his loss and love. But then underworld scion Iosef kills the puppy, and John's heartache no longer has a healthy outlet of expression.
Unbound and heartbroken, John kills anyone and everyone in his way of getting revenge on Iosef. His sadness and anger are channeled into his quest with an intensity those of us who've been hurt can envy. In the rare quiet moments, though, you still see a man weighed down with pain. The violence is, admittedly, not for everyone. But for those who can stomach the almost operatic fight sequences, the movie is a twisted love letter to heartache and loss -– and gives you one hell of a distraction from your own pain for its 1-hour-and-40-minute runtime.
Feeling playful? Dive into Toy Story 4
Okay, this one may seem a bit obvious — watch the movie about toys running around if you're feeling playful. And the obvious is a definite part of this, but, like all "Toy Story" movies, there's much more going on beneath the surface of "Toy Story 4." In this outing, the toys are dealing with some of the weightiest ideas out there, from Forky's bizarre birth leading to a massive existential crisis to Woody grappling with who he is and why he's here if he doesn't have a kid to give him purpose.
Then there's Duke Caboom, Keanu Reeves' Evel Knievel toy, who can't shake the belief that he let down his last kid by not being as good as the commercial promised (as if any toy ever is). These aren't exactly kiddie concepts, but that doesn't mean the movie skimps on any of the gleefully choreographed adventures of the franchise's first three movies.
In the end, Caboom joins Woody, Bo Peep, and a few other toys as they realize that they don't need a reason to exist and don't need to be tied to the happiness of children to have a purpose. Instead, they just need to approach life with wonder and good cheer as they make their own destinies. A greater purpose isn't necessary to make it through life, but a playful joy certainly is.