Keanu Reevesbegan his acting career in youth theater productions and TV roles in Canada, before landing his breakout supporting role in the hockey movieYoungbloodin 1986. With his natural charisma and distinct understated delivery,Reeves quickly landed roles in TV and films once he moved to Los Angeles. While his first major commercial success was the role of slacker teen musician Ted inBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, his background in theater prepared him to portray more complex roles in films likeStephen Frears’Academy Award-nominated filmDangerous Liaisons.
By the1990s, Reeves had hit his stride. The decade was filled with iconic and distinct roles for the performer. InFeeling Minnesotahe starred oppositeCameron Diazin this grungy and romantic 1996 crime drama. Reeves also played a supporting role inThe Last TIme I Committed Suicide, a historic retelling of a letter written by Beat generation authorNeal Cassady(Thomas Jane) to his friend and fellow author,Jack Kerouac. The talented performer also played bass on tour with his alt-rock band Dogstar from the mid-90s into the early aughts. Reeves had many memorable performances during the decade,so here are his best movies from the 1990s.
10’Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey' (1991)
Directed by Pete Hewitt
The sequel to the 1989 successBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journeywasa darker, weirder follow-upto the romp through history that Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Reeves) undertook in the original film. ScreenwritersEd SolomonandChris Mathesontook the Wyld Stallyns in a more twisted direction, while keeping true to what viewers loved in the zany original.Bill and Ted are, for better or worse, the same lovable losers they were in high school, with the same dedication to their mediocre rock ambitions, and, unfortunately, not a lot of progress with their skill level as the film opens.
But just as the audience is starting to feel a sense of familiarity with the characters, the plot takes an abrupt twist, whenBill and Ted are murdered by cyborg clones of themselves and sent to hell. There, the guys end up in a battle of wits with Death himself (William Sadler). Meanwhile, in the land of the living, the cyborgs have inserted themselves into Bill and Ted’s lives, interfering with their hopes of competing in the San Dimas Battle of the Bands. Bill and Ted living out their dream will turn out to have poignant consequences, as the Battle of the Bands could determine the fate of a futuristic utopian society. Winter and Reeves share the same upbeat and goofy dynamic fromExcellent Adventure,but the stakes are significantly higher now that the buddies have moved beyond the world of high school inBogus Journey.
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals.
9’Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' (1993)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
DirectorGus Van Santhas built a reputation as a brilliant auteur who blends realism with the surreal in provocative and engaging ways. His films often explore life on the fringes of society,themes of sexual exploration, unconventional love, and alternative counterculture identities, all of which were seen in his excessive 1993 filmEven Cowgirls Get the Blues.The film was the second opportunity Van Sant would work with Reeves (more on that later).
Even Cowgirls Get the Bluesis an adaptation of the eponymous 1976 postmodernist novel byTom Robbins. The film’s heroine is Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman), a woman born with well-endowed thumbs, which she puts to use by hitchhiking her way to New York City. Sissy’s adventures as a model in the big city lead her to a “beauty ranch” called The Rubber Rose Ranch, where the cowgirls end up in a showdown with the government over the flock of cranes that nest on their lake. The film introducedRain Phoenix,River Phoenix’s younger sister, as the ranch leader Bonanza Jellybean.Reeves makes a brief appearance as an asthmatic painter who meets questionable ends, but inspires a scene that allowed Thurman to really explore the physical comedy of her character.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
8’Johnny Mnemonic' (1995)
Directed by Robert Longo
Johnny Mnemoniccomes from the brilliant mind of author and screenwriterWilliam Gibson.Gibson wrote the 1984 sci-fi novelNeuromancer, a work which, in part, inspired the term “cyberpunk"and kicked off a fascinating new genre to explore in fiction and film. While there has never been a proper adaptation of the cyber-noir detective story, the upcomingApple TV+serieshas been hotly anticipated.
Robert Longo’s 1995Johnny Mnemonicwas from a screenplay originally written by Gibson, although ina 2021 interview for Screen Slatethe director admitted that his black-and-white 25th anniversary cut felt like a small bit of redemption for the original vision he, Gibson, and Reeves had for the film. Logon noted significant changes were made to the film once Reeves had blown up over the success ofSpeedin 1994, since TriStar Pictures wantedJohnny Mnemonicto be their big summer movie. While the director felt like Hollywood intervened in his vision too much to be able to stand fully behind the original release,Johnny Mnemonicis still one of the most prescient films to predict the social anxieties and ennui that come with life online in the digital age.
Johnny Mnemonic
7’The Devil’s Advocate' (1997)
Directed by Taylor Hackford
The Devil’s Advocateisa creepy ’90s thrillerwhereReeves plays a slick lawyer, Kevin Lomax, who dances a little too closely with the Devil(Al Pacino), aka John Milton, in his desire to climb the legal ladder. Not to be confused with the 17th century poet who pennedParadise Lost, an epic poem, in part, about Lucifer’s fall from Heaven and his ascendance as the ruler of hell, Milton is a lecherous lawyer who provides every form of temptation possible to lure Lomox deeper into his world. Lomax’s wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) has a torturous time adjusting to life in the city, as Milton exerts his influence over everything Lomox loves.
The campy mania of Pacino’s performance permeates the film, and the general aura is one of excess. The “reveal” that Pacino’s Milton was Satan all along could only come as a surprise to the least invested observer in the audience, butTheron and Reeves balance the more surreal elements with their more grounded approach. Reeves' signature calm confidence played well for this slick lawyer who would never admit to being way over his head, and Theron showed her intense vulnerability, even if both performers may have struggled to sustain a Southern drawl at times – perhaps their characters' reaction to their shocking adjustment to life in New York.
The Devil’s Advocate
An exceptionally-adept Florida lawyer is offered a job at a high-end New York City law firm with a high-end boss–the biggest opportunity of his career to date.
6’Bram Stoker’s Dracula' (1992)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola’s campy adaptation of the Dracula story aimed for faithfulness to Bram Stoker’s original 1897 novel. Whether this intention was metmay be hotly debated,butthe effort that Coppola put into a faithful reimagining of Stoker’s characters from the original novel cannot be denied. The story has been told and retold by filmmakers throughout cinematic history, often with only loose associations to Stoker’s original tale. Coppola labored over the periodization and locations for the film, and the major characters are all accounted for. The nature of the monster is where the film begins to differ greatly from the original, taking liberties to provide a more humanized version of what was initially a bloodthirsty killer.
What was a straightforward tale of the forces of good versus evil gets updated with lots of messy 20th century characteristics that complicate the desired claim to faithfulness. The drastic change to the fate of Mina (Winona Ryder) through the addition of a romance plot that makes the young heroine a reincarnation of the Count’s wife has even greater consequences for the fidelity claim. Considering the campy and dramatic performances given byGary OldmanandAnthony Hopkins,Reeves' signature demeanor seemed significantly understated in comparison. No matter how far or near to an authentic representation of the novelBram Stoker’s Draculaactually was, the movie is consistently ranked among essential vampire films from the period.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
In 19th century England, Count Dracula journeys to London, where he encounters Mina Harker, a woman who resembles his lost love. This tale weaves themes of passion and immortality as Dracula’s desires clash with those who seek to end his reign of terror.
5’Much Ado About Nothing' (1993)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
No one has made a cinematic commitment toWilliam Shakespearelike actor, writer, and director,Kenneth Branagh. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and played in several Shakespearean productions on the stage before he also began to adapt them to film. In 1989, he wrote, directed, and starred in a historical adaptation ofHenry V, in his feature directorial debut. This was followed by his 1993 adaptation ofMuch Ado About Nothing, with an all-star ensemble cast that included Reeves,Emma Thompson,Denzel Washington,Michael Keaton, andKate Beckinsale. Branagh would later adapt and directHamlet,Love’s Labour’s Lost, andAs You Like Itin quick succession. Not satisfied with the illustrious Shakespeare alone in his literary repertoire, Branagh also directed Disney’s live adaptation ofCinderella, and createdan almost perfect horror adaptationof Mary Shelley’sFrankensteinlong before he adaptedAgatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels into film as well.
Much Ado About Nothingshowed how brilliant a stage production can be when adapted to film and handled with care.The brilliant ensemble castdeliver performances worthy of their director’s vision. A visionary prototype of the enemies-to-lovers trope,Much AdobringsShakespeare’s comedy of errors to the screen with a commitment to the source materialthat is commendable. The banter sizzles on both sides as the characters' romantic entanglements have them spouting soliloquies on the opposite sex. Reeves plays the delightfully diabolical Don John, the evil half brother of Don Pedro (Washington), who leads a failed rebellion and conspires to ruin the honor of Hero (Beckinsale). The adaptation is an important contribution to cinematic history, andBranagh effectively utilized Reeve’s ability to portray a character seething internally on screen.
Much Ado About Nothing
4’My Own Private Idaho' (1991)
My Own Private Idahomarked Van Sant’s first collaboration with Reeves and River Phoenix. Speaking of Shakespeare adaptations, Van Sant offered a significant departure in style from Branagh’s more traditional takes when he very loosely adapted the King Henry plays inMy Own Private Idaho.Reeves plays rebellious and privileged Scott Favor, as an analog of Shakespeare’s depiction of the historical King Henry V, and Phoenix givesa brilliant performance as Mikey Waters, a gay hustler who suffers from narcolepsy, a lovable vagabond type known to populate Shakespeare’s plays.
The film is a profound contribution toLGBTQ+cinema, and helped to establish Van Sant’s reputation for looking at culture from the perspective of the outskirts. Reeves' deeply brooding portrayal of Favor was praised, especially forhis ability to quietly exude the heartbreak of his privileged and lost character. While many have misinterpreted the quiet intensity Reeves brings to the film as a layover from his days as his somewhat vacant character inBill & Ted, it is a signature style that has served him incredibly well throughout the entirety of his career, including the outrageous success he found withThe MatrixandJohn Wickfranchises in later years.
My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho follows the journey of two young friends, Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves), as they navigate the streets of Portland and embark on a quest for meaning and belonging. Directed by Gus Van Sant, this film explores themes of love, identity, and the search for home, filmed with a distinctive visual style and poignant narrative.
3’Speed' (1994)
Directed by Jan de Bont
Speedwas a surprise smash success in the summer of 1994.Jan de Bont’s bomb-on-a-bus movie turned into an overnight success,owing in large part to the chemistry between Reeves as LAPD bomb-squad officer Jack Traven, and his heroine, beleaguered bus passenger Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock). Add an unhinged bomb-making madman into the mix, courtesy ofDennis Hopperas retired Atlanta police officer-turned-terrorist Howard Payne, plus an intense hostage scenario where Reeves gets to swoop in and save the day, and it’s hard to understand now how anyone could have doubted this film in the first place.
But Bullock wasn’t the only co-star with whom Reeves shared on-screen chemistry, asJeff Daniel’s performance asTraven’s seasoned partner, Harry Temple, perfectly balanced Reeves' smoldering young hot-shot persona in the film. Reeves and Bullock would prove such a successful duo that they reunited for another romantic run inThe Lake House, and are allegedly in talks to star together yet againin an as-yet untitled upcoming project. And, for the record,de Bont has expressed interest in directing a third installment of the franchise, and in October 2024, 20th Century Studios bossSteve Asbellquipped that"Hollywood is brave enough” to green-lightSpeed 3.
A high-octane thriller featuring Jack Traven, a Los Angeles police officer who must deal with a terrifying hostage situation on a city bus. The bus is wired to explode if it drops below 50 mph, forcing Jack to work with the passengers, including the resourceful Annie Porter, to keep the vehicle moving and avoid disaster. The film is a gripping blend of action and suspense, with Jack and Annie facing numerous obstacles and the cunning schemes of the bomber, Howard Payne. It explores themes of heroism and resilience under pressure, delivering relentless excitement and tension.
2’Point Break' (1991)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow’s unlikely surfer bank robbery caper performed moderately well in theaters, but has developed a devoted cult following ever since.Point Breakbrings viewers intothe world of young FBI hotshot Johnny Utah (Reeves) as he attempts to infiltrate a gang of surfers suspected of staginga series of bank robberiesin the Southern California area. At the head of the “Ex-Presidents,” so named for the masks of U.S. presidents the surfers don during their heists, is a semi-cult-leader named Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who is hooked on adrenaline as he is obsessed with surfing the waves from the biggest storm in 50 years.
The cat-and-mouse game between Utah and Bodhi drives the narrative forward, and Reeves' on-screen chemistry with Swayze is palpable. Utah as a tightly-wound officer posing as a laid-back surfer-type is the perfect utilization of the actor’s quiet intensity. Utah’s romance with his strong-willed surf instructor, Tyler (Lori Petty), is a ruse that allows the undercover agent to get closer to Bodhi and his gang of adrenaline-addicted bank-robbing followers. Utah’s moral dilemma, as he gets closer to the fraternity of surfers whose violent crimes conflict with his sense of justice, pulls at the viewer as the film draws towards its inevitable, high-octane conclusions.Johnny’s pursuit of justice and Bodhi’s pursuit of freedom draw the two leads together, as much as it tears them apart, elevating Bigelow’s film above the typical fare that punctuates the hypermasculine action-thriller genre.
Point Break
1’The Matrix' (1999)
Directed by The Wachowskis
The Matrixis a groundbreaking action film by the legendaryWachowskis. The protagonist, a hacker whose online alias is Neo (Reeves),follows a classic hero’s journey down the rabbit hole as he discovers the world as he knows it is a computer-generated simulation meant to keep humanity preoccupied while machines harvest their energy. Neo is liberated by an agent of the rebellion, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), as she and her team of rebels try to convince Neo of his destiny as “the One.” Neo’s ability to manipulate the Matrix, which keeps humanity enslaved, is an integral component of the rebel’s plans to stage an uprising against the machines.
While the well-contrived plot and engaging characters have earnedThe Matrixa lasting reputation as a sci-fi action movie,the film’s stunt work and action sequencestruly set it apart from other films in the genre. In what is now one of the most iconic fight sequences of all-time, the Wachowskis employed over 100 cameras to createthe brilliant “bullet time” fight sequencebetween Neo and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) on the rooftop of the building where Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) has been held hostage. As Neo finally comprehends how his ability to manipulate the Matrix will enable him to defeat the seemingly immortal Agent Smith, he begins to rapidly dodge, weave, and dip below the barrage of bullets pummeling towards him.The Matrixfranchise reaffirmed Reeves' capabilities as a performer and established a new-found career as Hollywood’s leading weapon-specialist, training which would prepare him for his stint as everyone’s favorite hitman, John Wick.
The Matrix
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth–the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
