10 Movies You May Not Realise Are Based On The Work Of Shakespeare

3. Keanu Reeves + Henry IV And Henry V = My Own Private Idaho

Though the thought of Keanu Reeves in a film based on Shakespeare’s work is enough to make just about anyone shudder, to his and director Gus Van Sant's credit, he manages to do a half decent job.

Reeves stars alongside River Phoenix in this surprisingly good adaptation of Henry IV and Henry V. They play two young street hustlers, turning the original stories into a coming-of-age, road trip that sees them embarking on a life changing journey of self-discovery.

As with Sant’s other films, My Own Private Idaho is a daring, if not, highly original adaptation that gets the best out of its stars. It took the director a number of years to finally bring the story to screens, having originally written the premise in the 70s.