Keanu Reeves Plays Against Type in 'The Watcher'

Movies are terrific things. They give us beauty, laughs, sadness, thrills, snappy dialogue, and above all else, a great escape from the real world. Drama comes from conflict, and conflict produces heroes. Larger-than-life men and women out there battling for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Sure, everybody loves a flashy do gooder, but let's be honest: the ones they battle are always more interesting. A story is only as good as its villain, an idea that still resonates just as strongly today. The bad guys are the ones we really want to see — killing, maiming, and destroying with reckless abandon, all in the name of some evil, dastardly plan. Whether a hulking murderer in a hockey mask or a stoic demon with a face full of pins, we can't help but smile when they show up, usually accompanied by a few well-placed shadows or a sharp musical sting. From time to time, however, certain villainous characters are lifted to an even higher cinematic level: namely, when said character is played by an actor you'd least expect. Playing against type is one of the greatest tools an actor possesses. By dipping their toes into uncharted territory, they show us their true talent, their range of emotions. Many examples of these phenomena exist, but very few beat the creeping calm of Keanu Reeves in Joe Charbanic's 2000 horror thriller The Watcher.