2014–2022: Resurgence with John Wick
In 2014, after another series of commercial failures, Reeves made a career comeback, playing the title role in the action thriller John Wick, directed by Chad Stahelski. In the first installment of the John Wick franchise, Reeves plays a retired hitman seeking vengeance. He worked closely with the screenwriter to develop the story; “We all agreed on the potential of the project. I love the role, but you want the whole story, the whole ensemble to come to life”, Reeves said.[149] Filmed on location in the New York City area, the film was eventually released on October 24 in the United States.[150] The Hollywood Reporter was impressed by the director’s “confident, muscular action debut”, and Reeves’s “effortless” performance, which marked his return to the action genre.[151] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times praised Reeves’s fight scenes and wrote he is “always more comfortable in roles that demand cool over hot, attitude over emotion”.[152] John Wick proved to be a box office success, grossing $86 million worldwide.[153] In 2015, Reeves starred in a smaller-scale horror feature, Knock Knock, a remake of the 1977 film Death Game. Described as “over-the-top destruction” by the Toronto Star, Reeves plays a father, home alone, when two young women show up and start a game of cat and mouse.[154] His other releases in 2015 were the documentaries Deep Web, about crime on the dark web, and Mifune: The Last Samurai, about the life of Toshiro Mifune, famous for playing samurai characters. He narrated both films.[155][156]
Keanu redirects here. For other uses, see Keanu disambiguation.
