Out now, John Wick stars Keanu Reeves as the titular character, a former hit man who married the love of his life and retired from the criminal business. When his circumstances change (violently), he comes out of retirement in a very vengeful mood, sparking a series of bloody encounters that are thrilling and, frankly, a little bit scary to watch.
The actor's intensely charismatic performance suggests that now is a good time for him to do more horror films. Let's look at his past roles to see why.
Reeves first gained wide attention in River's Edge (1986) and quickly moved on to lead roles in teen comedies The Night Before (1988) and, most notably, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). He shifted easily between studio and indie films (Point Break, My Own Private Idaho), which set him up for his first role in a horror movie.
Dracula (1992)
Francis Ford Coppola's elegant version of Bram Stoker's novel is a gothic delight, featuring a great cast led by Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins. At this point in his career, Reeves already excelled at conveying characters with a wild-eyed edge. He tamped that down with his performance as the honorable Jonathan Harker, who is compelled to join the fight against evil.
Devil's Advocate (1997)
Reeves hit it big as an action star with Speed (1994), but he was drawn back to horror in this big and bold modern-day tale. As in Dracula, Reeves played a character tempted to the dark side by lovely women and the promise of power. Again he had to tangle with a wily embodiment of evil, this time in the person of Al Pacino, the head of a law firm with devilish tendencies.
The Watcher (2000)
The movie itself falls short, but Reeves is surprisingly effective as a serial killer who plagues FBI agent James Spader with his exploits in this little-remembered horror-thriller.
The Gift (2000)
Sam Raimi's suspense flick edged easily into horror territory, helped along with Reeves' ferocious performance as an unsavory character who is accused of murder.
Constantine (2005)
The dark-haired Reeves stars as a character who originated as a blonde in the comic book series. That and other personality and story differences aside, the action is brisk and Reeves is convincing in a movie that features terrifying visits to Hell and plenty of demonic figures.
Since then … no horror movies! Ignoring his detractors, Keanu Reeves has demonstrated his versatility as an actor and his ability to play characters with a menacing edge. It's time for him to do more of them.
