'Constantine' at 20 Years: Revisiting Keanu Reeves’ Dark, Stylish Comic Book Cult Classic
- Jack Ransom
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Jack Ransom - November 4, 2025
Ever since The Matrix Resurrections and John Wick: Chapter 4 wrapped up (the latter maybe not completely) two iconic Keanu Reeves action characters, fans of his have been inquisitive about giving his 2005 supernatural, grizzled, horror inflicted outing, Constantine, another go, sparking a sequel into development (with an update from DC studios head James Gunn a few days ago).
Constantine Returns to Cinemas for Its 20th Anniversary
Last year, my local cinema did a mini-Keanu season which included Constantine, and a decent turnout appeared and this year (on its 20th anniversary) cinema chains around the country brought it back to the big screen to celebrate. Whilst I personally don’t think it is in the hall of comic book adaptation greats (a solid 3.5 stars for me), it is certainly an interesting, distinctly stylistic and in some ways: ahead of its time take on DC’s chain smoking paranormal embittered sarcasm machine.
Let’s picture the slate of 2005 comic book flicks. Alongside Constantine, DC took a darker, more mature stab at their material with Christopher Nolan redefining the superhero genre with Batman Begins to commercial (total box office haul of $375 million) and especially critical success and the Wachowski’s helping bring the excellent V for Vendetta to cinemas ($135 million haul). Marvel… well, they did not opt for the genre exploration and elevation. Instead the goofy (and nostalgic) family friendlier approach of Fantastic Four did solid numbers ($333.5 million total), but received a mixed reception and lastly, the often forgotten, messy, snooze-fest and box office bomb that is Elektra ($57 million worldwide).
Constantine raked in $230 million (not bad considering the character’s lesser known status at the time). It very much treads the line between deadly serious: With its lore exploration of heaven and hell, John’s relentless cynicism, cigarette puffing, hard drinking outlook and the mystery surrounding a suicide. Yet also, the elements of the era creep in with Shia LaBeouf’s pointless sidekick addition and alterations to the source material (most notably John’s look and country of origin, for a more commercial edge).
Visual Style and Cinematic Flair: Constantine’s Lasting Strength
Really where the film shines most is stylistically. I know there have been recent exceptions to the rule (The Batman, James Gunn’s flicks and both Joker’s), but there is no denying that comic book flicks have lost an element of visual distinction and flair over the years and films like Constantine of the genre’s early-mid-00’s period feel far more like real films. The cinematography here is damn good: frequently badass, creative and bold shots, slick slow-motion implementation and a fiery whirlwind representation of hell. It undeniably nails the ‘from page to screen feel’. Lastly, Keanu is still very much channelling a post-Neo-esque aura, his bitterness, snark and flutters of heroism shine through.
Why Constantine Deserves Its Cult Status and Sequel
Despite its floors Constantine is deserving of its 20th anniversary celebrations and it has rightly garnered a cult following over the past two decades. Hopefully with the eventual release of the sequel (it certainly makes sense in this current lega-sequel/nostalgia-driven landscape), it will drive even more people to revisit this horror soaked comic book gem.
'Constantine' is available to watch now for Sky customers, also available to buy or rent on digital platforms.
