Keanu Reeves’ 10 Best Performances

It’s crazy to think the fourth installment in a series could be so good, but when it’s Disney and Pixar, it makes a little more sense. Somehow “Toy Story 4” manages to be one of the best in the seriees, thanks to some new blood that includes Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as stuffed animals and, of course, Keanu Reeves as an Evel Knievel-inspired daredevil toy named Duke Caboom. Reeves’ laid-back vocal inflections are perfect for Caboom, but there’s also a surprisingly serious turn as the daredevil struggles with low self-esteem after disappointing his prior owner. Reeves nails the silliness, but don’t be surprised to find yourself getting emotionally invested in this toy’s story.

There’s a common misconception that it’s easy for an actor to play themselves, but it’s actually one of the most challenging roles to pull off — you have to have the right amount of honesty and humor to get it right. And while I don’t think the arrogant, hipster “Keanu Reeves” who shows up to complicate this rom-com is probably really anything like the real Reeves, the actor does a good job of convincing us it could be. The onscreen Reeves gets a lot of mileage out of being image obsessed (wearing glasses without lenses) but also walks a tricky balance of being just believable enough — after all, we have to understand what Ali Wong’s Sasha sees in him. It’s a fun, joyous performance that yes, Reeves was born to play.

The Kathryn Bigelow-helmed thriller was Reeves’ first attempt at action stardom, and while it wasn’t the runaway hit of some of his future projects, it has only gained more admiration over time. Reeves plays the wonderfully named Johnny Utah, an FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of surfers who rob banks — and trust me, the film makes this premise a lot more compelling and believable than it sounds on paper. Part of the reason the film works so well is Reeves’ total commitment, never winking at the camera. Sharing wonderful bromance chemistry with Patrick Swayze and displaying the chops that will soon make him a go-to action hero, “Point Break” is an early indication of his star on the rise.

A wise person once said you can tell everything you need to know about a man by the way he treats animals. John Wick may have been a contract killer, but the lengths he goes to in order to avenge his dog will make you follow him through three films (and counting.) Reeves always understands the assignment — the more serious he plays it, the more fun it gets — and the action is always a joy to watch as he finds creative new ways to kill people.

Gus Van Sant’s film marks Reeves’ first crack at Shakespeare (it’s based very loosely on the “Henry IV” plays), before he tackled “Hamlet” onstage or “Much Ado About Nothing” for Kenneth Branagh. Reeves and River Phoenix play gay street hustlers Scott and Mike. It’s life or death for Mike, while Scott is a rich kid who eventually returns to his life. His final moments where he denies his friend – leading to tragedy – will chill you.

It was the 1986 indie drama “River’s Edge” that first truly put Reeves on the map, playing an alienated teenager whose friends commit murder. But it was another gritty indie that sealed him as an actor to truly watch out for. While the two films share common themes, Reeves’ Chris Townsend is a heartbreaking look at someone left behind by a friend’s suicide. When his friend David dies, Chris at first wonders if it was an accident. But when he receives a suicide note in the mail and learns the truth, the camera literally cannot stay on Reeves’ devastation as he runs out of the room. It’s one of Reeves’ most honest, deeply gutting performances.

There has always been something ethereal and peaceful about Reeves – something director Bernardo Bertolucci used to great effect by casting him as Prince Siddhartha in the 1993 film “Little Buddha.” But it’s in the first of “The Matrix” movies where this ability was really recognized and utilized in his casting as the messianic Neo. Reeves believably goes from a sleepwalking computer programmer to “The One” — a man who realizes our world is an illusion and he’s the key to saving it. His placid exterior works beautifully with the revolutionary action, and there has never ben a better line reading than “I know Kung Fu.”

Reeves was so endearing and believable as Theodore (“Ted”) Logan that for years, many people confused his real-life personality with that of his slacker character. And while most sequels that appear after a long gap are iffy at best, Reeves and Alex Winter returned for the sweet and clever “Bill & Ted Face the Music” last year, a rare example of nostalgia done right. It also gave the pair a chance to really show their range as they portrayed different variations of the duo, from elderly men to ridiculously buff versions of themselves.

When “Speed” first hit theaters, the premise sounded silly – a bus will explode if it goes below 50 mph. What a testament to writer Graham Yost, director Jan de Bont and the fantastic cast that it ended up becoming one of the greatest action films of all time, setting a template that would be copied for years to come. A lot of credit is due to Reeves who hits the right balance of viable romantic lead (with Sandra Bullock), fun-loving best friend (with Jeff Daniels) and serious action star (his showdowns with Dennis Hopper are a highlight.) If you doubt that anyone else could have pulled off this role so well, just look at what happened when he didn’t return for the sequel.

Sam Raimi’s supernatural thriller boasts a wildly impressive line-up: two-time Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Hilary Swank, Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Oscar nominees Rosemary Harris and Greg Kinnear. And yet it’s Reeves who delivers the best performance in the entire movie, playing the abusive husband of Swank’s character. There isn’t a single trace of his trademark affability – he is utterly terrifying as he menaces anyone who crosses his path. At the same time, Reeves doesn’t just portray a cardboard villain, which would undermine just how realistic his portrait is. It’s a chilling turn and one that should silence anyone who questions Reeves’ abilities.