If there is one word which perfectly describes Keanu Reeves’ movie career, it is versatile. The Canadian-born actor has featured in wide-ranging genres such as supernatural-thrillers, action flicks, and romantic comedies. He has also portrayed a wide array of roles including a can-do action hunk, a lame-brained teenage time traveler, and a tortured sci-fi hero. Reeves may have not yet nabbed an Oscar but he is definitely one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history.
List of 12 Keanu Reeves Movies Rated From Best To Worst
1. Speed
Production Budget – $30 million
Box Office – $350.4 million
Speed is the one Keanu Reeves movie that can be pointed out as the one that turned him into a big-budget action star. The 1994 action thriller revolved around an LAPD officer named Jack who foils the attempt of a disgruntled ex-cop to take hostages. In revenge, the disgruntled officer arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if the speed drops below 50 miles an hour. Jack later relies on the assistance of a spunky passenger named Annie in order to save the people on the bus.
Speed featured Reeves as Jack while ace actress, Sandra Bullock, portrayed Annie. The film was both a commercial and critical success. It holds a score of 94% on rotten tomatoes and 78% on Metacritic.
2. The Matrix
Production Budget – $63 million
Box Office – $463.5 million
The Matrix is a 1999 sci-fi action film in which Reeves plays the lead role of Neo, a computer hacker who discovers that humanity is trapped in a simulated virtual reality. Neo subsequently teams up with other discerning few in order to rebel against the machines.
The Matrix won several awards including a total of four Oscars. It has also spurned two sequels and has been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film meanwhile holds a score of 88% on rotten tomatoes and 73% on Metacritic.
3. John Wick
Production Budget – $20 million
Box Office – $88 million
John Wick is a 2014 action and adventure film which offers a fresh take on the assassin genre. In the film, Keanu Reeves plays the lead role of Wick, an ex-hitman who comes out of retirement in order to track down the gangsters who took everything from him.
John Wick was a commercial and critical success, with some calling it one of Keanu Reeves’ best performances ever. The film has since spurned two sequels and has a score of 87% on rotten tomatoes and 68% on Metacritic.
4. Point Break
Production Budget – $24 million
Box Office – $83.5 million
Point Break is a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow. In the movie, Reeves played the role of an FBI recruit, Johnny Utah, who is tasked with infiltrating a robbery gang comprised of a bunch of surfers. Utah’s loyalties are, however, increasingly tested as he gets closer to the charismatic leader of the gang.
Point Break has a score of 69% on rotten tomatoes and 58% on Metacritic. The film has also achieved cult status.
5. The Devil’s Advocate
Production Budget – $57 million
Box Office – $153 million
Want some high-octane legal drama with a heavy dose of supernatural mystery? Then, this Keanu Reeves movie is for you.
The Devil’s Advocate is a 1997 supernatural horror about a high-flying defense attorney, Kevin Lomax, who lands a dream job at a New York firm. Things, however, go sour when Lomax’s wife starts experiencing mystical and frightening episodes which warp her sense of reality. The film was a successful project and won the Saturn Award for best horror film. It has a score of 67% on rotten tomatoes and 60% on Metacritic.
6. The Day The Earth Stood Still
Production Budget – $80 million
Box Office – $233.1 million
The Day The Earth Stood Still is a 2008 sci-fi drama about an alien, Klaatu, who is sent to warn the earth of the impending danger of climate change. Klaatu receives a hostile reception from world leaders and is forced to consider his second option of wiping humans from the face of the earth.
The film was a commercial success but was panned by the critics, with many criticizing Reeves’ uninspiring performance. The film has a score of 21% on rotten tomatoes and 40% on Metacritic.
7. Dangerous Liaisons
Production Budget – $14 million
Box Office – $34.7 million
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 period drama directed by Stephen Frears. Set in the 18th-century French royal courts, the movie revolves around several characters who are entangled in a dangerous web of love, romance, and seduction.
Dangerous Liaisons had a star-studded cast comprising of the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman and of course, Reeves. The movie was a commercial disappointment but a critical success, scoring several Oscar nominations. It has a score of 93% on rotten tomatoes and 74% on Metacritic.
8. Chain Reaction
Production Budget – $50 million
Box Office – $60.2 million
Chain Reaction is another from the list of Keanu Reeves movies that does not accurately represent his talents. The 1996 sci-fi thriller revolved around a group of brilliant scientists who uncover a technology for using water as fuel. This, however, puts them in danger as the scientists are later attacked by a private energy company.
Chain Reaction received mostly negative reviews while Reeves received a Razzie nomination for worst actor. The film has a score of 16% on rotten tomatoes.
9. Sweet November
Production Budget – $40 million
Box Office – $65.8 million
Sweet November is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Pat O’Connor. The film revolves around a workaholic tycoon and a free-spirited lady who takes a new lover each month. The duo agrees to embark on a no-strings-attached affair but end up falling in love.
Sweet November received mostly negative criticism while both lead stars, Reeves and Charlize Theron received the Golden Raspberry nomination for worst actor and actress respectively. Sweet November has a rating of 15% on rotten tomatoes and 27% on Metacritic.
10. Feeling Minnesota
Production Budget – NA
Box Office – $3.1 million
Feeling Minnesota is a 1996 crime drama-comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Keanu Reeves. The movie revolves around a former stripper named Freddie who is strong-armed into marrying a man, Sam, in order to repay a debt. Freddie ends up falling for Sam’s brother, Jjaks, and they run off on her wedding day.
Feeling Minnesota received poor reviews. It has a score of 14% on rotten tomatoes but fared better on Metacritic with a score of 30%.
11. Johnny Mnemonic
Production Budget – $26 million
Box Office – $56 million
Johnny Mnemonic is a Canadian cyberpunk action-thriller in which Reeves plays the leading role of Mnemonic, a data courier who has a secret stash of information implanted in his head. Mnemonic must retrieve the data in 48 hours (or die) whilst evading several hostile people who want the information for their own evil purposes.
Johnny Mnemonic received mostly negative reviews while Reeves bagged another golden raspberry nomination for worst actor. The film meanwhile has a rating of 13% on rotten tomatoes.
See Also: Ryan Reynolds Movies and TV Shows Rated From Best To Worst
12. The Watcher
Production Budget – $33 million
Box Office – $47.3 million
The worst in this ranking of best to worst Keanu Reeves movies is The Watcher, a 2000 psychological thriller which revolves around a serial killer named David Allen, and a detective named Joel Campbell. The two men are both locked in a cat and mouse game as Allen taunts Campbell with pictures of his intended victims and urges him to save them.
The Watcher was a critical failure and did not fare much better commercially. The film holds a score of 10% on rotten tomatoes and 22% on Metacritic. It also earned Reeves another Razzie award nomination for worst supporting actor.
