Keanu Reeves is an iconic action star, but ‘Good Fortune’ proves he’s just as good with comedy

Keanu Reeves is perhaps best known for playing action heroes in John Wick And The matrixbut in turn Chance is a reminder that it can also make you laugh. In Aziz Ansari In the film, Reeves plays Gabriel, a well-meaning angel who tries to guide a lost soul to happiness, but finds his heavenly mission falling apart. Charming and sweet, Reeves steals the film from comedy veterans Ansari and Seth Rogen.

The delicious Reeves Chance the performance seems like a surprise, but it shouldn’t. The actor rose to fame starring in comedies, and while he still occasionally appears to show off his silly side, Chance is a reminder that he should do it more often.

Sincerity is Keanu Reeves’ comedic superpower

Chance is filled with characters frustrated with modern capitalism, making Reeves’ Gabriel a refreshing addition. Gabriel wants to do more than just stop people from texting and driving. He wants to save lost souls, but he completely ignores the complexity of human behavior. When Gabriel asks Aziz Ansari’s employee Arj to switch places with Seth Rogen’s venture capitalist Jeff to show him that money won’t solve all his problems, he is dismayed to discover that, in fact, money do fix most of Arj’s problems.

Gabriel is naive but well-meaning and simply wants to make life better. He is curious about humanity and relies on platitudes instead of understanding the nuances of life. When circumstances turn Gabriel human, he experiences the joys of humanity – from “chicken nuggies” to dogs – as well as the frustrations of life under steroidal capitalism and people’s despair. Just as Arj needs to learn contentment and perseverance, and Jeff needs to see how he perpetuates an exploitative system, Gabriel learns that humanity is both frustrating and beautiful and that saving souls means encouraging them to enjoy life in all its complexity.

At one point, Gabriel describes himself as an “idiot.” But Reeves’ secret weapon is not idiocy, but innocence. Where others might be tempted to play Gabriel as a jerk, Reeves draws his humor from the angel’s amazement at the mundane and his joy in the small things, whether they’re tacos or baby elephants. Reeves doesn’t wink at the audience or play ironically; he completely believes in Gabriel’s good intentions, which makes the comedy more difficult.

Sincerity has been Reeves’ strength throughout his careerespecially when he appears in comedies. Long before Neo and John Wick, he was the lovable idiot of Ted “Theodore” Logan in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. As with Gabriel, it’s easy to think that Ted is just an idiot (but not a stoner). And even though he doesn’t have the intelligence of the books, what makes Ted so beloved throughout the trilogy is his kindness and joy. Ted just wants to hang out with his friend, make music, and tell people to be great to each other. Ted is open and curious, a teenager who happened to think Socrates was pronounced “So-crates.” This mixture of stupidity and innocence is found in Reeves’ supporting role in Ron Howard’s Parenthoodwhere he plays a serious but somber young man who delivers one of the most surprisingly touching speeches in the film. Reeves’ comedy was rooted in empathyand the audience laughed with him, not at him. When asked, like the opposite Winona Ryder In Destination weddinghe could also turn the charm inward and drop barbs perpendicular to his otherwise good-natured persona, but audiences and critics tend to prefer him when he’s more laid back.

It’s the same quality that continues to make his recent comedic supporting turns so memorable. Like Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4the overconfident Canadian stuntman who constantly relives his failures, Reeves turned what could have been a gimmicky role into one of the film’s most memorable characters, infusing the figure with arrogance and vulnerability. In Always be my maybeReeves played an exaggerated, hyper-enlightened, pretentious version of himself who ponders sadness and insists on dining in silence. It’s a self-parody that plays on Reeves’ stoic and brooding persona, letting out the air of seriousness and proving that Reeves was on to something.

A career that balances killer and clown

There are interesting parallels between Reeves’ comedic work and his action hero roles in Breaking point, Speed, The matrixAnd John Wick. Rather than straying from what made him such a memorable comedic presence, Reeves channeled that calm into something more serious. Speed Jack Traven may almost be buzzing with adrenaline, but Reeves bottles it and creates a hyper-focused character, the gears always turning as he finds a way to save people and beat the bad guy.

There are certainly several superficial parallels between Neo’s Zen-like openness and Ted’s mindless enthusiasm. And who is John Wick if not a character who turns the self-parody of Always be my maybe in a distressing trauma? Most actors approach comedy by overplaying their emotions or energy, but Reeves underplays. The blank stares and hesitant pauses of his characters create a void where the audience projects absurdity onto them. A well-timed “whoa” can express either stupid astonishment or slack-jawed awe. He can turn his thinking into a tool for emotional resonance or a counterpoint to comedy, or do both, as Reeves showed in Sonic the Hedgehog 3where Shadow’s seriousness was used for deadpan humor as well as giving the film a tragic undercurrent that most family films lack.

Reeves can play quiet and anxious, but he can also play free and happy, just a guy with a good shot. Reeves understands its zen appeal and is able to modulate it for comedic or dramatic purposes. Chance is proof that after years of being a strong, quiet action hero, he’s also very good at using this focused stoicism as a channel for comedyand I should probably do it more often.

Keanu Reeves should be funny more often

Hollywood’s obsession with brooding heroes and the abandonment of stage comedies have deprived audiences of a charming comedian. It’s not that Reeves should abandon heroism and bloodshed; it’s just that more filmmakers, and perhaps the star herself, should trust what he can bring as a comedic presence.

The film industry is full of actors who have moved from comedy to drama, but it’s rarer to see it succeed in the opposite direction. Reeves has alternated between serious and silly throughout his career, but after decades of watching him play tortured heroes looking for rest, it’s refreshing to see him lighten up and play a character who loves life. There’s something liberating about seeing a man who has carried so much cinematic weight finally let go.

Release date

October 17, 2025

Runtime

98 minutes