Constantine · reception & legacy
2005 · Francis Lawrence
How Constantine has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Shrugged off in 2005 as another muddled mid-2000s comic-book movie — and hated by Hellblazer purists for turning a blond Liverpudlian into Keanu in a black tie — it's since been reappraised as one of the era's best-kept secrets, with fans (and Keanu himself) campaigning for a sequel for years.
What's debated
The eternal fight: is it a betrayal of the Hellblazer comics or a great occult noir that just happens to share a name — and can both be true?
Its footprint
Tilda Swinton's androgynous Gabriel and Peter Stormare's white-suited Lucifer are endlessly screenshotted as all-time comic-movie casting wins, and Keanu's parting middle finger is a beloved gif.
Where it stands
A card-carrying member of the 'critics were wrong in 2005' cult canon, riding the Keanaissance into genuine Letterboxd-favourite status.