It doesn’t matter how much you love Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula – which should be a great deal given that it’s an undisputed classic that remains as popular today as it ever was – there’s no chance anyone can ever mount a convincing defense of Keanu Reeves’ legendarily awful performance as Jonathan Harker.
Even though he was only a few years into his fledgling career at the time, it almost certainly isn’t a coincidence that the longtime A-lister has rarely (if ever) even attempted to utilize an accent other than his own ever since. It’s such a bad turn it completely takes you out of the movie, which is an impressive achievement given the Gothic epic’s many merits.
It made a killing at the box office, boasts some stunning visuals and production design, scooped three Academy Awards for its troubles, and endures to this day as a titan of Vlad the Impaler’s many, many, many, many live-action adventures. And yet, Reeves’ wooden expression, stilted line delivery, and haunting verbiage is still capable of causing nightmares.
And yet, there’s something in the water after a first-time viewer became what has to be the first and only person in recorded history to describe his work as “badass.” No, really, it happened. Many words have been used to dissect and discuss Reeves’ work over the years, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that very few of them have even been complimentary, never mind enthusiastic.
Not a single soul has ever watched Coppola’s Dracula and thought, “Wow, Keanu is such a badass doing some of the worst acting you’ll ever see.” Until now, that is.