10 Great Movies (That Were Led By Terrible Performances)

2. The Matrix (1999)

Oh, Keanu, we wondered when we'd be seeing you again. When The Matrix was released way back in 1999, it set the bar for what modern science-fiction cinema could be. Highly original with mind-bending special effects (not to mention a deep-seated social commentary), it was unlike anything anybody had seen before. Featuring strong support from Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith and Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, the film found the perfect balance between drama, dialogue and action and cemented itself as the pinnacle of sci-fi entertainment. And who better to play a man essentially a robot than the master of the emotionless expression himself? Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a computer hacker who has the potential to save the world from mind-controlling machines. As usual he is wooden and stoic, without a hint of human feeling etched across his face. But somehow this works - he plays the character as subtly as every other role he appears in - and looks a complete badass in shades. A rare example of a bad performance actually making sense in the context of the film?