Keanu Reeves' monumental and violent film, John Wickcelebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, but an underrated Reeves thriller that followed got even darker. Some of Keanu Reeves' best films are endlessly rewatchable, and many of them helped solidify him as one of the best action stars of all time. Launched in 2014, John Wick was considered a key part of Reeves' career revival, which also helped him become an action star once again.
John Wick was an instant success, resulting in three sequels so far, and several spin-offs, with Ballerina scheduled to be released on June 6, 2025. John Wick The franchise is violent and dark, artistically portraying a world of killers who paint the streets (and several other places) with lots of blood. Alongside this franchise, however, Keanu Reeves' thriller, Knock Knockremains one of the darkest films of his entire career, despite having a unique tone compared to other Reeves-led vehicles such as John Wick.
A series of 4 films renamed as Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves took on more action roles in the 2010s
From the '90s through the early 2000s, Keanu Reeves was one of the biggest action stars on the planet, starring in films like Breaking point, Speedand The Matrix. After that, however, Keanu Reeves tried leading more conventional films, such as romantic comedies, and after his first appearance in The Matrix The franchise was over, it seemed that Reeves' best action days were behind him, but the later resurgence of violent and dark films helped establish the actor once again, with one of them becoming a major franchise in the process.
Despite all four films having drastically different plots and tones, all four tackled violence in different ways.
From 2012 to 2014, Keanu Reeves had a four-film run that helped rebrand the actor once again, with John Wick being the most prominent of the four. Subsequent films were; Tai Chi Manwhich was Keanu Reeves' directorial debut, 47 Ronin, John Wickand then Knock Knock. Despite all four films having drastically different plots and tones, all four tackled violence in different ways, in fact being some of the most violent films in Reeves' entire filmography. John Wick It legitimately outshines the others this season, but the film that came after it was a particularly interesting choice.
Knock Knock was Keanu Reeves' boldest move after John Wick
After his new status as an action hero, a dark erotic thriller was an unexpected turn
Given that Keanu Reeves successfully restarted his action film career with John Wick's lightning performance in a bottle, having Knock Knock leaving soon after seems like a bold move in hindsight. Despite also being a dark and violent entry in Reeves' filmography, couldn't be further than John Wick was. If John Wick was the first step into Reeves' new era, Knock Knock it was a bold move in a very different direction, trying something different than what came before and even after.
After John Wick I felt more grounded and serious, Knock Knock opted for a very different tone. Co-written and directed by Eli Roth, director of Hostel, Cabin feverand Thanksgiving, Knock Knock was marketed as a dark, sexually charged thriller featuring Keanu Reeves being tortured by two women (Ana de Armas, Lorenza Izzo) after cheating on his wife with them after they showed up at his house. It definitely fit that profile, but it was a lot more exaggerated than people would imagine. Keanu Reeves knew exactly what the film was going for and it resulted in the most iconic scene in the film.
Keanu Reeves' first film after John Wick wasn't as successful
Knock Knock wasn't a slam dunk for Reeves
Given that Knock Knock was the first Keanu Reeves film to come out soon after John Wickexpectations were high to see the iconic actor continue his revitalized career. Unfortunately, Knock Knock was criticized by criticsearning a rating of just 37% on Rotten Tomatoes from 76 reviews, with an abysmal audience score of just 19%. Given that John Wick had the opposite reaction, it seemed like a huge disappointment at the time. Even so, there are still some positives to be taken from Keanu Reeves taking a bold step with a film like Knock Knock.
The film was a modest box office success, taking home $6.32 million against a production budget of $2 million. Guaranteed, Knock Knock It had a very limited run, never being shown in more than 22 theaters across the United States. Compared to John Wick's $87.8 million gross, it was a steep drop. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years since it was released, Knock Knock performance doesn't necessarily matter, given the size of the John Wick franchise has become. With the film's anniversary, Knock Knock it's worth a second look as a dark, underrated gem in Reeves' filmography.
Source: The Numbers