The two horror movies Keanu Reeves personally recommends
Between starring roles in Point Break and Speed in the early 1990s, his iconic portrayal of Neo in the cyberpunk series The Matrix and his all-action role as the titular John Wick, Keanu Reeves has secured his place as one of Hollywood’s most essential action stars. Though he’s most at home in sci-fi landscapes and neo-noir thrillers, Reeves has also tried his hand at a number of other genres.
He starred in Stephen Herek’s sci-fi comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1989 and took on a family comedy in Parenthood the same year. He became a romantic leading man opposite Sandra Bullock in The Lake House, and over a decade after they collaborated on Speed. He’s even given voice acting a go, lending his voice to Disney for Toy Story 4 in 2019.
Though he seems willing to delve into any genre, there is one area of cinema Reeves has only ever tentatively dipped his toes into. The Canadian actor’s exploration of horror is relatively limited, but he did appear in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Sam Raimi’s The Gift, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon. He also starred opposite Al Pacino and Charlize Theron in The Devil’s Advocate, but horror movies are fairly few and far between in his filmography.
Despite rarely finding himself at the forefront of horror, Reeves certainly seems to be a fan of the genre. While composing a list of recommendations for Esquire, the actor named two horror movies that he implores people to watch.
The first film Reeves named was one of his own – Winding Refn’s psychological horror, The Neon Demon. Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, and Christina Hendricks, the movie follows the imagined horrors of the modelling industry in Los Angeles, plagued by cannibalism, narcissism and necrophilia. With striking cinematography and a pounding score, it’s a stylish and disturbing modern take on the genre, which features Reeves as a motel owner.
At the time, Reeves shared his desire to delve further into darker, more obscure movies with Collider, stating, “I guess I’ve had those opportunities recently. And I’ve always been a fan of Nicolas’ films. The script that he developed I was really excited to do.”
Reeves’ only other serious horror suggestion was a supernatural classic from another of his previous collaborators, The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi and released in 1981. The classic horror flick followed a group of friends on a cabin trip gone wrong, as members of the group gradually become possessed. Almost two decades on from the release of the horror classic, Reeves collaborated with Raimi on The Gift, starring alongside Cate Blanchett.
Alongside his recommendations of a horror classic and a modern take on the genre, Reeves also shouted out a movie that pokes fun at it – the 1974 horror parody Young Frankenstein.
Reeves’ more recent roles have seen him retreating back into his comfort zone, starring in sequels to The Matrix, Bill & Ted and John Wick, all in the last three years. His immense global fan base would be interested to see Reeves take a risk on horror again.
