Review: Keanu

Dir. Peter Atencio (2016)

The following review contains minor spoilers.

We’ve all seen what Keanu will do if you mess with his dog, but how do Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key react if you mess with their kitten...named Keanu. These gentle hearted best buds will have to take on an entire criminal underworld if they ever hope to see little Keanu again. Hilarity ensues. Some occasional splattery action, nudity, and pervasive language will keep mainstream audiences away, but I’m sure that this movie has a long life ahead of it as a cult classic. The movie has a very silly sense of humor but never loses sight of what makes our two protagonists unique and endearing. They’re in over their head chasing a cat but we get the sense that this quest is much more meaningful than what we see on the surface. Jordan Peele’s character can’t walk away from the situation, he’s not just chasing his lost kitten. He’s chasing the very notion that his broken emotional state can ever be whole again. His personal life was shattered and Keanu the kitten represented hope that he could be whole again one day, he can’t just walk away from that. Keegan Michael Key’s character is a father who feels generally weak and ineffective. He can’t leave his best friend to certain self-destructive doom. Additionally, he’s driven by the need to prove to himself that he’s tough enough to stand up for those he cares about. This isn’t just a movie about chasing a kitten, it’s a hilarious fish-out-of-water journey of self-actualization for our protagonists and that’s what makes Keanu great.

-Josh Evans

This movie is just hilarious! It can definitely be too much sometimes, but it's still so good. This was Key and Peele's debut feature film, and I hope they make more together. Believe me, I'm thrilled about the directions they’re going in. Jordan Peele is an AMAZING creator of new horror, and Keegan Michael Key has done some great voice work, but I also really appreciate when they work together. This movie is a heightened version of a basic gang/drug-focused action flick...but it's all about this kitten named Keanu and how Key and Peele are basically in the wrong place at the wrong time and choose to stay there because saving the kitten is their only real goal. It's ridiculous. It sounds ridiculous. It honestly doesn't sound like a good movie, but because it's SO ridiculous, I think it works. Probably the only big flaw I have with the movie is the kitty montage. There's a montage of Keanu just running around but it's obviously not the same cat. In some shots IT’S NOT EVEN A KITTEN and it's a small thing but it’s crazy irritating for a cat owner. So yeah, go watch this movie. If you like hard action, Key and Peele humor, and cats you're obviously going to have a great time.

-Katie Rose Witherell