- Title: Constantine
- IMDb: link
Spooky Saturday takes us back to 2005’s Constantine starring Keanu Reeves as the chain-smoking asshole needed to save the world. Earning mixed reaction from critics, the film scored big at the box office and has built up an even larger cult following over the past two decades leading to a the possible resurrection of a potential sequel in the near future.
By all accounts a righteous dude, Reeves wouldn’t be my first choice to play the dickish exorcist, but he does well enough in the role dragged into a plot between an angel (Tilda Swinton) and demons to bring about the birth of Satan’s son Mammon on Earth. Central to these machinations are a pair of twins, both played by Rachel Weisz who have a connection to the otherworldly, although one has denied her gifts for decades. After one of the twins commits suicide in the opening of the film, the other searches for answers leading her to Constantine and the veil between the worlds being lifted.
Some elements of the film work better than others. Reeves and Weisz are strong leads and Swinton’s unique look plays into the unearthly nature of Gabriel. For the time, the special effects hold up pretty well for the most part including Constantine pulling a demon out of a young girl and trapping it in a mirror. Less successful are Peter Stormare as Lucifer. who isn’t helped by a design that doesn’t come across well on-screen, and Shia LaBeouf as Constantine’s annoying sidekick.
Constantine is a solid enough film that’s managed to remain in the public consciousness. It has been released multiple times on home video over the years and is currently available on several streaming services. Although the writer’s strike delayed the long-delayed sequel even further, it sounds like there is still hope of Reeves returning to the role in the near future. Hopefully the baddies, one of this film’s big weaknesses, will be a little more interesting the second time around.
Watch the trailer
