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Much Ado About Keanu: A Critical Reeves Theory

(Hardback)


Publishing Details

Full Title:

Much Ado About Keanu: A Critical Reeves Theory

Contributors:

By (Author) Sezin Koehler

ISBN:

9780913705223

Publisher:

Chicago Review Press

Imprint:

Chicago Review Press

Publication Date:

18th June 2025

Country:

United States

Classifications

Readership:

General

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Non Fiction

Main Subject:
Other Subjects:

Film history, theory or criticism
Films, cinema
Biography: arts and entertainment

Physical Properties

Physical Format:

Hardback

Number of Pages:

272

Dimensions:

Width 152mm, Height 228mm

Description

Thanks to his prolific movie career (seventy-eight movies as of 2023) and endearing real-life persona, Keanu Reeves has become the universal screen saver of pop culture-nobody can go a few days without some reference to Keanu or his movies popping up. But Reeves is much more than box office receipts and internet memes, and Much Ado About Keanu provides the deep dive into his art, identity, and ethnicity that this oft-misunderstood cultural icon deserves.

Despite the sometimes-mocking estimations of his acting skills-and his seven Razzie nominations-Keanu is one of the most thoughtful and talented performers of Generation X, and during his forty-year career he has made huge strides for Asian representation in spite of his identity often being whitewashed. Pop-culture sociologist and Reeves devotee Sezin Devi Koehler explores all of this, presenting insightful essays that critically examine Reeves's creative output from an interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective.

Those who code Reeves as white miss how his multiracial identity informs so many of his mainstream films, often subverting their most straightforward themes. Criticisms of his acting overlook the popularity and the reach of his work. Koehler's essays challenge how audiences engage with Keanu's movies, highlighting the importance of Keanu as a multitalented artist and trailblazer, not only for racial representation but for intersectional, queer, and feminist readings of cinema as well.

Much Ado About Keanuconnects existing media studies around various themes in Reeves's films-particularly Asian and Indigenous representation, gender studies, philosophy, technology, and sexuality studies-in a "critical Reeves theory" sure to engage not just fans but all of us who live in Keanu's world.

Author Bio

Sezin Devi Koehler is a pop-culture writer whose work has been featured in Bitch magazine both in print and online, Looper, Black Girl Nerds, Certified Forgotten, Teen Vogue, Shudder's The Bite, Horror Homeroom, Crooked Marquee,Scalawaymagazine, and many others. She currently writes for Entertainment Weekly!'s movies section, and has published two indie horror novels.

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