Millennials Just ‘Get’ Keanu Reeves

Read: A definitive ranking of Keanu Reeves movies

“I think there’s a purity and an innocence to him that translates—which, coupled with a very strong persona, is a winning combination,” Bigelow said in 1991, highlighting what’s special about Reeves. Yet even as he worked with acclaimed directors including Gus Van Sant (in My Own Private Idaho), Francis Ford Coppola (Dracula), and Bernardo Bertolucci (Little Buddha), he was never taken seriously as an actor. Reeves remained best known for starring in thrill rides such as Speed, The Devil’s Advocate, and of course The Matrix, his most recognizable role of all.

That movie marked a comeback after years of flops, as did 2014’s John Wick, which introduced him to a younger generation of action fans. While Generation X mostly dismissed him as wooden and one-note, younger viewers better understood his nuances as a performer; the weird, hypnotic specificity of his line readings; and the movie-star magic inherent in parts like Neo, John Wick, and Johnny Utah. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else in those roles, which is the best evidence of Reeves’s singular screen presence.

My Own Private Idaho

For the first film in this week’s series, we’re going to check out Van Sant’s daring and strange modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, which casts Reeves in the Prince Hal role. He’s a rich kid slumming with a group of young hustlers, including best friend Mike (River Phoenix); Van Sant digs into the grim realities of their lifestyle, but it’s a soaring and poetic movie that liberally borrows the Bard’s dialogue. This is the first Reeves movie I ever saw that showed me what a genuinely great actor he is—it’s the perfect way to kick off a mini career retrospective.  

Where to watch: Amazon, YouTube Movies

Check back on Monday, April 27, for the next film in the series.

David Sims is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers culture.