The terrible movie Keanu Reeves was tricked into making
He might be ‘The Internet’s Boyfriend’, but Keanu Reeves has starred in his fair share of terrible movies. Whether this be The Lake House or Siberia, Reeves is an interesting case because he is such a cultish figure but has been in so many derided titles.
Whilst Reeves’ many horrible movies are offset by classics such as Bill and Ted, The Matrix and the contemporary hit series John Wick, delving into his back catalogue is a fascinating experience, as some of the misfires are so bad that they qualify as nothing but hilarious. One of the most egregious exhibits of his collection is 2000’s The Watcher.
Starring Reeves alongside James Spader and Marisa Tomei, the film follows Spader’s retired FBI agent, Joel Campbell, who is stalked by Reeves’ serial killer, David Allen Griffin. The Watcher is so bad that words don’t do it justice for those who haven’t seen it. Spader’s performance is mind-numbingly dull, with none of the cast shining. Following this, Reeves’ performance of Griffin is perhaps the most unhinged turn of his career, with the supposedly terrifying killer nothing but a total goofball.
Unsurprisingly, Reeves despises The Watcher, as nobody involved comes away with any distinction. Interestingly, the year after the film arrived in 2001, the actor also made a startling claim that he was, in The Guardian‘s words, “press-ganged” into starring in it after a friend forged his signature on the contract. Unable to prove his signature had been falsified, Reeves asserted that he agreed to take the role rather than be embroiled in a legal battle.
It was reported in 2001 that Joe Charbanic, the director of The Watcher, was a former friend of Reeves, who had also filmed his band Dogstar. In their article, The Guardian also echoed claims that Reeves was aggrieved that what he thought was a minor role had become so central to the movie. Additionally, it is said that The Matrix star was angry that he received $1.5m less than Spader.
However, all of Reeves’ anger comes back to his signature being forged. “I never found the script interesting, but a friend of mine forged my signature on the agreement,” Reeves explained to the Calgary Sun. “I couldn’t prove he did and I didn’t want to get sued, so I had no other choice but to do the film.”
Reeves maintained that legal stipulations meant he had to wait a year after The Watcher arrived in the US before publically discussing his disdain for it. “If it’s September that means it’s been a year, so I can finally talk,” he added.
Accordingly, Keanu Reeves refused to promote The Wacther at the time of its release. Although it spent a fortnight at the top of the US box office, Charbanic’s movie was critically panned, with Reeves’ performance a common talking point.
