Keanu Reeves Can’t Choose Sides In This Classic ’90s Action Thriller Streaming
These days, Keanu Reeves is one of the most recognizable and revered stars in all of Hollywood, with massive placements in a number of genre-defining projects such as John Wick, Cyberpunk 2077, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run. Long before he was known as an esteemed leading man, Reeves was given a chance to star alongside Patrick Swayze in one of the biggest Summer blockbusters of 1991, launching his career into the stratosphere and paving the way for action-adventure films to dominate the box office. The hit film Point Break, is currently available to stream on Peacock.
Keanu Reeves stars in Point Break, streaming now on Peacock, that heavily influenced The Fast and The Furious.
The title of the Keanu Reeves classic film refers to a common surfing term, meaning the point at which a wave breaks when it hits a point of land along the coastline. Point Break was written by W. Peter Iliff and directed by Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow. The film remained mired by production issues for years, resulting in an earlier draft of the screenplay nearly being shot as early as 1986 with an entirely different cast.
Before Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze were cast, Point Break was set to proceed with Ridley Scott helming the production and a number of popular actors in consideration for the lead role. Apparently, Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Val Kilmer, and Matthew Broderick were all nearly confirmed to star at one point or another before the production ultimately fell through. After years of failing to get the film off the ground, Scott departed the project, leaving Kathryn Bigelow an opportunity to take the lead on the project.
Once production officially began for the film, the cast was subject to a ton of stunt training, including extensive surfing lessons, skydiving, and free climbing. Patrick Swayze was reportedly a natural at base jumping, resulting in the late actor making over 50 jumps for the film’s final cut, though he lacked the skills necessary to surf, cracking four ribs while taking lessons. Keanu Reeves, on the other hand, is said to have enjoyed surfing so much after learning how to do it for the film that he took it up as a hobby and continues to surf to this day.
In addition to Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, Point Break stars Gary Busey, Lori Petty, John C. McGinley, James Le Gros, John Philbin, Bojesse Christopher, and Julian Reyes.
Though Point Break was successful at its release, garnering both financial success and critical praise, it has become a cult classic in recent years, especially following the lukewarm reception of the 2015 remake of the same name. Keanu Reeves’ career saw massive success in the wake of the film, with many considering the role to be his breakout hit.
Keanu Reeves, on the other hand, is said to have enjoyed surfing so much after learning how to do it for the film that he took it up as a hobby and continues to surf to this day.
Point Break centers on former Ohio State football player turned rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah, as portrayed by Keanu Reeves. As one of Utah’s first major cases in the field, he must investigate a string of bank robberies carried out by a gang of robbers nicknamed the “Ex-Presidents” due to their use of rubber masks depicting the visages of former United States presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Lyndon B. Johnson. After learning that the Ex-Presidents are prolific within the surfing world, Utah goes undercover in order to infiltrate the gang during an extreme water sports meet-up.
Keanu Reeves’ character encounters the gang’s charismatic leader, Bohdi, portrayed by Patrick Swayze, as well as the rest of the surfers, Roach, Grommet, and Nathanial. Bodhi recognizes Utah as a former college football star and quickly welcomes him into the inner circle.
Point Break was a huge hit when it was released, helping to propel Keanu Reeves to superstardom as an action star.
After spending some time bonding with the gang, Utah and his partner ambush the Ex-Presidents during their next bank heist, but Utah’s personal connection to Bodhi prevents him from being able to pull the trigger when he runs.
With the FBI beginning to question Utah’s loyalty and his cover blown, Bodhi forces Keanu Reeves’ character to participate in the gang’s final heist of the Summer. From there, the film devolves into an action-packed shooting spree that leaves droves of cops and robbers dead and others injured in a series of extreme sports accidents. Utah’s loyalties are pushed to their limit, resulting in an epic conclusion.
Though Point Break was a massive success, the 2015 remake of the same name failed to leave a lasting impression on audiences, causing younger generations to gravitate to the 1991 original even more. This is especially true with the modern cultural impact held by Keanu Reeves, frequently named a fan-favorite actor among children and families in recent years. Point Break is available to stream on Peacock today.
