John Wick was an instant success, resulting in three sequels so far, and several spin-offs, with Ballerina set to be released on June 6, 2025. The John Wick franchise is violent and dark, artfully depicting a world of assassins that paint the streets (and various other places) with loads of blood. Alongside that franchise, though, the Keanu Reeves thriller, Knock Knock, remains one of the darkest films of his entire career despite having a unique tone compared to other Reeves-led vehicles like John Wick.
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Despite all four films having drastically different plots and tones, all four of them confronted violence in different ways.
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After John Wick felt more grounded and serious, Knock Knock went for a much different tone. Co-written and directed by Eli Roth, director of Hostel, Cabin Fever, and Thanksgiving, Knock Knock was marketed as a dark, sexually-charged thriller featuring Keanu Reeves being tortured by two women (Ana de Armas, Lorenza Izzo) after cheating on his wife with them after they showed up at his house. It definitely did fit that billing, but it was much campier than people might have realized. Keanu Reeves knew exactly what the film was going for, and it resulted in the film’s most iconic scene.
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Given that Knock Knock was the first Keanu Reeves film to come out directly after John Wick, expectations were high to see the iconic actor continue his revitalized career. Unfortunately, Knock Knock was slammed by critics, garnering a measly 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 76 reviews, with an abysmal audience score of just 19%. Given that John Wick had the opposite reaction, it felt like a massive disappointment at the time. Even still, there are still some positives to glean from Keanu Reeves taking a bold swing with a film like Knock Knock.
Knock Knock was the first Hollywood project that Ana de Armas acted in.
The movie was a very modest success at the box office, taking home $6.32 million against a $2 million production budget. Granted, Knock Knock received a very limited run, never playing in more than 22 theaters across the entire United States. Compared to John Wick’s $87.8 million gross, it was a steep drop. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years since it was released, Knock Knock’s performance doesn’t necessarily matter given how massive the John Wick franchise became. With the film’s anniversary, Knock Knock is worth a second look as an underrated, dark gem in Reeves’ filmography.