15 Underrated Keanu Reeves Performances That Remind Us Why We Love Him

Keanu Reeves plays the title character in Constantine. He's a man who gets a second chance at life after both heaven and hell reject him. His days are spent tracking down "half-breeds" - aliens and demons who walk the Earth trying to influence the behavior of humans. A police detective approaches him, hoping he will look into the suicide of her sister, which she believes actually has some kind of demonic explanation.  

Constantine is based on the popular comic books, and Reeves proves a good fit to star. The character definitely has his troubles, but he also aims to redeem himself by doing good. Reeves gets that dichotomy across in a subtle yet potent way. A lot of themes relating to life/death and good/evil can be found in the story. With his naturally pensive manner, Reeves helps them register strongly by making us understand how much the man he's portraying is affected by them. 

The Devil's Advocate teams Reeves with the legendary Al Pacino for a very different kind of horror movie. He's Kevin Lomax, an up-and-coming defense lawyer recruited to work for a New York firm run by John Milton. When his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) begins having horrific hallucinations that strip away at her sense of reality, Kevin begins to think his boss might have something to do with it. If the name "John Milton" makes you think of Paradise Lost, it's entirely intentional. That, combined with the word "devil" in the title, tips you off as to where the story is headed. 

Lots of bonkers, hellish, supernatural stuff takes place in The Devil's Advocate. Reeves is solid, acting as a surrogate for the audience. We see all these bizarre things through his eyes. The actor nicely conveys the increasing sense of horror Kevin feels as he begins to uncover the truth about what's happening. He and Pacino have several scenes together that light the screen on fire. Holding one's own against a performer of Pacino's stature isn't easy, but Reeves pulls it off magnificently, helping to create a nerve-rattling chiller in the process.

Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho is a reimagining of William Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V, complete with stylized Elizabethan dialogue. River Phoenix plays Mike, a narcoleptic hustler who is taken under the wing of the more experienced Scott Favor, portrayed by Reeves. The film charts their friendship, which changes when Mike expresses a desire to turn things romantic. Scott, however, is more interested in getting out of his way of life and into something better. 

Named after a classic B-52s song, My Own Private Idaho is a beautiful, stylish, and challenging film that benefits significantly from the chemistry between Phoenix and Reeves. One of the most compelling ideas at the core is that Scott has had to completely close himself off emotionally in order to make it as a hustler. He's closed himself off so tightly, in fact, that he may not be able to open back up. That quality could make him seem like a jerk, except that Reeves's performance suggests the feelings that are still buried somewhere deep inside Scott. It's nuanced work that packs a real punch.

When you think of classic '80s teen movies, you probably don't think of Permanent Record, and that's a shame. The movie never quite found its audience, making it ripe for discovery by modern audiences. Reeves plays Chris, a high school student whose best friend David has just taken his own life. At first, he thinks it was an accident - that David simply fell off a cliff. But then he gets a letter his late friend mailed to him that reveals how much pain was going on inside. 

Permanent Record is about teen suicide, but it's also about survivor's guilt. Reeves brings out the sorrow and regret Chris feels for having failed to notice the anguish his friend was experiencing. A scene where he breaks down to David's father was an early indicator of the promise the actor would quickly fulfill in his career. It's a gut-wrenching performance in a sensitive, thoughtful movie. Yes, the subject matter is inherently downbeat, but this is an important picture that could help viewers remember to be alert to the mental well-being of their family and friends.

Reeves doesn't just star in 2013's Man of Tai Chi - he also directed it. The story is pretty basic, focusing on a delivery man who gets recruited to take part in an underground fighting ring. Tiger Chen plays the fighter, and Reeves is the shady guy who brings him into the fold. There are, of course, ulterior motives at play, causing our hero to find himself in great peril.

Marked by first-class martial arts sequences, Man of Tai Chi allows Reeves to play a guy hiding a lot of secrets. His character is a manipulator - a string-puller who uses other people for his own gain. The actor brings many shades to the character, while simultaneously indulging in the quintessentially offbeat Keanu-ness that makes him a unique on-screen presence. This one may not be his best-known film, but it's certainly one of the movies that's most indicative of who he is as both an actor and martial arts aficionado.

Reeves is at his comedic best in Ron Howard's Parenthood. In this hilarious, insightful 1989 ensemble comedy, he plays Tod Higgins, the doofus boyfriend of teenage Julie (Martha Plimpton). They get married, to the dismay of Julie's mom Helen (Dianne Wiest). She not only thinks Julie is too young to get hitched, but also thinks this guy is a walking dead end. 

Tod represents a stealth performance from Reeves. For the longest time, we think he's a moron. He comes off as pretty clueless, kind of like Ted "Theodore" Logan's dumber brother. But then he displays unexpected wisdom, dropping a shrewd observation about parenting to Helen. He also becomes a father figure to Julie's troubled younger brother. In lesser hands, that shift could have come off as contrived or unbelievable. Reeves makes it authentic, showing that Tod may not be book smart, but he's accumulated some not-insignificant life wisdom, and he's got a big heart, to boot.