In 2020, Keanu Reeves was ranked number four on The New York Times’ list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. The Canadian actor began his career in the mid-80s in stage and TV work, but it wasn’t until he starred as Neo in the science-fiction action movie, The Matrix, that he found stardom. Since then, Reeves has become one of the highest-paid actors, earning over $250 million for the Matrix franchise. Besides becoming a successful and respected actor, he has also found himself turned into a popular internet meme (sad Keanu) and eventually dubbed, endearingly, “the internet’s boyfriend.” He became widely adored by fans and fellow Hollywood actors alike for being a sweet, introverted, and generous celebrity, charming his way into people’s hearts.
All adoration aside, Reeves started his career with a silly role in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, a science-fiction comedy, but eventually proved himself as one of Hollywood’s most durable action stars. He has now starred in some of the most well-known modern action movies in history and because of that, we decided to rank Keanu Reeves’ best action movies, from Speed to John Wick.
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5 John Wick
Lionsgate
The first film in the John Wick Franchise is simply titled John Wick, which introduces us to the titular character, a retired hitman, following the death of his wife. It’s when a Russian crime lord kills his dog, the only remaining gift from his dead wife, that he is forced to return to the criminal world for revenge. In comparison to other films in the franchise, it tends to be the lesser of the three, but is still loved by action fans for its storytelling, and introduces rich lore for the audience to become invested in the film and its main character. Without this first film being as solid as it was, there wouldn’t have been the amazing sequels or proper ground for them to be built on, which we all love. The film also came during a time when pure action movies, with no superhero involvement, just weren’t doing as well as they once were. Indeed, the release of John Wick not only saved the modern action flick, but also went on to define 2010s action movies.
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4 John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
The third, and for now the last, film of the John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, was released in 2019 and is the franchise’s most ambitious film yet. The film proved that the writers could continue making the movies bigger and bigger with more elaborate stunts and bigger twists and turns. This is something very crucial for a franchise to be able to achieve, especially if it wants to have continued success. Although some people feel that it’s gotten so elaborate that it doesn’t even feel close to where the movie started — which is a common trend in action movies that try to carry on with sequels — it’s remained up to par in action to the other films, leaving many excited about the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4.
3 John Wick: Chapter 2
Reeves is no stranger to successful action franchises, and the success of the first John Wick film sparked another majorly successful franchise for the actor. So, in 2017, three years following the release of the first film, John Wick: Chapter 2 was released and was generally liked by critics, who praised the film as the way a sequel should be done. It had bigger stakes, and the audience was shown the underground world of crime that’s only really hinted at in the first film. Chapter 2 almost always ends up at the top of the fan’s lists for the best John Wick film, and rightfully so: at this point, we don’t need a reintroduction to the character, so it’s just filled with action.
2 Speed
20th Century Fox
Speed is often considered one of the best 90s action movies, and it would be impossible to disagree. Reeves stars with Sandra Bullock, who at the time wasn’t an established Hollywood star, in this 1994 action thriller about a retired bomb squad member who rigs a bomb onto a city bus that’ll detonate if the speed drops below 50 mph. Reeves plays Jack, an LA police officer tasked with his partner to catch the bomber and save everyone on the bus with help from Annie (Bullock), a normal woman who happened to be on the bus that day. Very rarely do you find an action movie that is as simple as Speed, but still keeps you on the edge of your seat. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing, winning in the two latter categories.
1 The Matrix
Warner Bros.
Last but never least, The Matrix made film history when it was released in 1999, written and directed by transgender sisters, Lana and Lilly Wachowskis, creating a turning point in Hollywood and in society while touching on political and philosophical theories. It also exposed the simulation theory to a wide audience, something that is still heavily speculated about today. The franchise, which has now spanned two decades, explores a future in which humans live in a simulation called The Matrix, created by machines to distract humans so that they can be used as an energy source. This is uncovered by a hacker under the alias Neo (Reeves), who joins the rebel fight against the machines.
The Matrix has gone on to become a pop culture staple, parodied, and was heavily influential to the superhero blockbusters we have today. This film has defined Reeves’ entire career, and, before John Wick, was the film he was most known for. The Matrix won four Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It’s safe to say, The Matrix is a film that’ll never leave the public consciousness because of the ideas it explores and, as director James Cameron once said of the film, that it is “one of the most profoundly fresh science fiction films ever made.”
