Sightlines · reception
How Constantine was received
2005 · Francis Lawrence · Constantine on Sightlines
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-favorite status.
Did you know? It was music-video director Francis Lawrence's feature debut — and the cast sneaks in Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale as the demon Balthazar, plus a pre-Transformers Shia LaBeouf.