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Keanu Reeves is Hollywood’s sweetheart. Reeves is an incredible action star who performs many of his own stunts. He is a dedicated performer who has trained in martial arts, jiu-jitsu, and tactical firearms to enhance the authenticity of his films. Reeves is also among the most generous people donating millions to children’s hospitals and cancer research. However, he does not boast about it. He is humble. Let’s take a look at the 10 best Keanu Reeves films.
10. Hard Ball

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Hard Ball is a classic baseball film that hits home emotionally. The film is directed by Brian Robbins, known for Varsity Blues, Norbit, and The Perfect Score. It received a lower Rotten Tomatoes score of forty-one percent, but the audience enjoyed it much more, giving it seventy percent. Keanu Reeves shows his ability to be an action star and a wonderful dramatic actor. Reeves learned how to coach baseball to give the film a sense of authenticity. It also stars Diane Lane and John Hawkes. Reeves, being the sweetheart he is, played baseball with the children actors between takes, creating a genuine bond between his fellow actors.
9. My Own Private Idaho

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My Own Private Idaho is a dramatic film inspired by William Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V. It was written and directed by Gus Van Sant, known for Good Will Hunting, Milk, and Drugstore Cowboy. It received a respectable eighty percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Reeves played a different kind of role. He portrayed a spoiled rich kid, showing his versatility. It also stars River Phoneix, James Russo, and Flea. It was nominated for six Film Independent Spirit Awards and won three, including Gus Van Sant for Best Director and River Phoneix for Best Male Lead. It was not a huge financial success, earning only $6.4 million worldwide, but the film has since become a cult film and one of Reeves’s best films.
8. A Scanner Darkly

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A Scanner Darkly is a surreal sci-fi thriller animated using the rotoscoping technique. Essentially, rotoscoping is where the film was shot in live-action and animated in the post, which took over a year to complete. It was written and directed by Richard Linklater, known for Before Sunrise, Dazed and Confused, and Boyhood. The story was based on a Philip K. Dick novel. Keanu Reeves took a pay cut so he could work on the film because he was a major fan of Dick’s work. Reeves was particularly fond of the themes of identity and surveillance. The film also stars Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Woody Harrelson. The film received a sixty-eight percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of seventy-four. It is entertaining but not as accessible as some of Reeves’s other films. It resonated more with cinephiles than it did with the public. It only earned about $7.7 million worldwide compared to its budget of $8.7 million. The film was nominated for a Cannes Film Festival.
7. The Devil’s Advocate

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The Devil’s Advocate is a fun, dramatic thriller with a touch of horror. It is directed by Taylor Hackford, known for Ray, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Proof of Life. The film is based on a novel by the same name, written by Andrew Neiderman. Reeves goes toe-to-toe with Al Pacino and gives a subtle and vulnerable performance. Once again, Reeves took a large pay cut to afford to put Pacino in the film. Reeves also had to study a Southern accent to nail the role. Charlize Theron worked on the film and praised Reeves for being so supportive during challenging scenes. The film received sixty-three percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but an even higher percentage of eighty with audiences. It won Best Horror Film at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. It also performed well at the box office, earning $153 million worldwide.
6. Point Break

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Point Break is a classic early nineties action crime thriller. It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, known for The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, and Near Dark. Keanu Reeves learned to surf for the role and became obsessed with the sport. Reeves almost did not get the part of Johnny Utah. The role was initially offered to Matthew Broderick, Charlie Sheen, and Johnny Deep, but in the end, Reeves was cast. It also stars Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey. It received a sixty-nine percent on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics and a seventy-nine percent by the audience. It performed well at the box office, earning $83.5 million worldwide. Due to its success and cult following, the film was rebooted with the same name in 2015. However, the reboot did not hold up to the original standard.
5. Constantine

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Constantine is a fantasy horror thriller directed by Francis Lawrence, known for I Am Legend, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Red Sparrow. It was based on the DC comic book series Hellblazer. Reeves showcased his versatility in the role, playing a more nihilistic part. Reeves performed many of his stunts, including the scenes involving fire. The film also stars Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Shia LaBeouf, and Djimon Hounsou. Critics gave it mixed reviews, with a forty-six on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score tells a different story, scoring it at seventy-two percent. The film grossed $230 million worldwide, and a highly anticipated sequel is in the works. There was already a short-lived TV show of the same name.
4. John Wick

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John Wick is a super fun, intense action thriller. Chad Stahelski directs it, known for all four John Wick movies, with a fifth one in the works. Stahelski is also a stuntman and has worked as Keanu Reeves’s stunt double in The Matrix films. Reeves once again proves he is one of Hollywood’s best action heroes. Reeves performed nearly all of his own stunts in the film. Reeves is trained in judo, jiu-jitsu, and weapons handling to perform elaborately choreographed action scenes. The film received an eighty-six percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It grossed $86 million worldwide. The franchise has grossed over a billion and counting.
3. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

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Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a comedic adventure sci-fi film directed by Stephen Herek, known for The Mighty Ducks, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and 101 Dalmatians. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter became great friends during the film’s filming, which came across on screen. They were also joined on screen by stand-up legend George Carlin. The cult film has a lot of heart and charm. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure received eighty-three percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film earned $40.4 million worldwide at the box office. Due to the film’s success, there were two sequels, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and Bill & Ted Face the Music.
2. Speed

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Speed is a thrilling action directed by Jan de Bont, known for Twister, The Haunting, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life. Keanu Reeves once again performed most of his stunts. Reeves co-star Sandra Bullock learned how to drive a bus for the role. It also stars the late and great Dennis Hopper. It scored an incredibly high ninety-five percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It won two out of three Academy Awards, including Best Sound. Audiences sped to the theater to see the film, which grossed $350.4 million at the box office. There was a sequel, which Reeves declined to act in due to the screenplay. However, Bullock regrettably did the film to financially back the film Hope Floats. Bullock has been vocal about her hatred of the film Speed 2: Cruise Control, which received four percent on Rotten Tomatoes, was nominated for eight Razzie Awards, and won for Worst Remake or Sequel.
1. The Matrix

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The Matrix is arguably the best action film of all time and sci-fi. It was written and directed by Wachowskis, known for The Matrix Reloaded, Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending. Keanu Reeves did many of his stunts, including the wire work for the rooftop jump. Reeves also trained for four months, learning martial arts to give his performance a sense of authenticity. Famously, Will Smith declined the role of Neo and instead did the film Wild Wild West. Reeves, being the generous person he is, donated a significant amount of his earnings from the film to the visual effects and costume department. Reeves gave each production crew member one million dollars, believing that the visual effects made the film. One of the most iconic scenes in the film is the bullet-dodging scene, in which the Wachowskis used a groundbreaking three-sixty turn using multiple cameras. The film received eighty-three percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won four Academy Awards, including Best Effects Visual Effects. The film was a monster hit, earning $467.2 million at the box office. There have been four installations of the film, with a fifth one in the works. There was also a collection of animated short films called The Animatrix and four video games.