History Film / Keanu

''Keanu'' is a 2016 film by [[Series/KeyAndPeele Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele]], about two men (Rell, played by Peele, and Clarence, played by Key) looking to reclaim their [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter incredibly cute cat]] from some gangsters that stole him. To do so, they pose as drug dealers, trying to earn the favor of the gang's leader. Along the way, they run afoul of a drug cartel and two [[SilentAntagonist silent psychopaths]], all while trying to keep their activities from interfering with their normal lives.

* BangBangBANG: Downplayed in the finale - while Rell flinches in pain and rubs his ear multiple times when a gun goes off right next to his ear during the chase scene in the end, he doesn't seem to suffer anything beyond a momentary pain a few seconds after the gun goes off.

** Early on, Rell is shown teaching Keanu to scratch at a photograph of his ex-girlfriend, who seriously hurt him. [[spoiler: While tied to a chair after he and Clarence are kidnapped by the Allentown Boys, Rell gets Keanu to slash and bite at the ropes on his hands to fray them enough to break free, by whispering the key phrase he used to train Keanu to destroy the photographs. This same phrase later causes Keanu to leap at the face of a gang leader that has Rell at gunpoint.]]

* ChekhovsSkill: Clarence’s actual job is as a corporate team-builder, and he uses some of his techniques to teach members of the Blips how to handle themselves in their positions. [[spoiler: In the climactic shootout, they use what he taught to win in a showdown where they were both outnumbered and heavily outgunned. They all survive, in fact.]] Also, early on, Rell is shown teaching Keanu to scratch at a photograph of his ex-girlfriend, who seriously hurt him. [[spoiler: Keanu later leaps at the face of a gang leader that has Rell at gunpoint.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, when The Allentown Boys kidnap Clarence and Rell. While tied to chairs, Rell gets Keanu to slash and bite at the ropes on his hands to fray them enough to break free, by whispering the key phrase he used to train Keanu to destroy photographs of his ex-girlfriend.]]

* BigNo: Rell after his cousin shows him Keanu's disheveled pet collar. Bonus points for drama [[CaughtInTheRain as he runs out into a deluge]]. Taken UpToEleven in a deleted scene, where he screams and curses at God for a good minute and a half.

** [[spoiler: Also, when The Allentown Boys kidnap Clarence and Rell. While tied to chairs, Rell whispers the key phrase to get Keanu to slash and bite at the ropes on his hands to fray them enough to break free.]]

* BigNo: Rell after his cousin shows him Keanu's disheveled pet collar. Bonus points for drama [[CaughtInTheRain as he runs out into a deluge]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: It's actually mostly sweet, but Rell and Clarence's actions ''were'' illegal, and so they had to spend six months in prison. Clarence's relationship with his wife is much improved, though, and Rell is now going out with Hi-C.]]

** Clarence does a flip off a wall to prove he and Rell are the Allentown Brothers. When prompted to also demonstrate, Rell says that he will be flipping tomorrow. And then does so in the climax.

** [[spoiler: Creator/KeanuReeves himself also shows up, voicing the cat of the same name, during Clarence's MushroomSamba.]]

* ChekhovsSkill: Clarence’s actual job is as a corporate team-builder, and he uses some of his techniques to teach members of the Blips how to handle themselves in their positions. [[spoiler: In the climactic shootout, they use what he taught to win in a showdown where they were both outnumbered and heavily outgunned. They all survive, in fact.]] Also, early on, Rell is shown teaching Keanu to scratch at his ex-girlfriend, who seriously hurt him. [[spoiler: Keanu later leaps at the face of a gang leader that has Rell at gunpoint.]]

* CutenessOverload: Rell's funk over his girlfriend breaking up with him is cured instantly the moment he finds Keanu. Pretty much everyone else has the same reaction to the kitten as well.

* InfantImmortality: Keanu gets into some pretty difficult situations, but he never even gets a scratch on him. Somewhat justified in that all of the humans like him and are protective of him, but he manages to avoid all stray fire and accidents on top of all that despite the dangers around him.

* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Hulka, Rell's next-door neighbor/weed dealer. He makes a show of seeming sympathetic, but he's really just trying to move drugs and doesn't care about Rell's problems at all. He just wants to avoid the Blips coming down on his head. And once Rell goes on his way to try and get Keanu back, he tries to steal Rell's television.

* OlderThanHeLooks: Keanu is described as a "Forever Kitten".

* ShoutOut: Not surprisingly, all over the place for Creator/KeanuReeves, beginning with the kitten’s name, going to Rell’s hobby of remaking film scenes with the kitten (including ''Film/PointBreak1991''), the kitten quoting several Reeves roles during a drug trip [[spoiler: voiced [[TheCameo by Keanu Reeves]] himself]], and the plot being a StealthParody of Reeves’ ''Film/JohnWick''.

** Double ShoutOut to their sketch own show, when the nain characters go see a "Liam Neesons" movie called "Substitute Teacher."
* TheStinger: A quick one, where [[spoiler: the Allentown Brothers [[MadeOfIron get up again]].]]

** The Blips themselves qualify, as well as it being a MeaningfulName. They are made up of gangsters who were thrown out of the Bloods or Crips, and are a comically small gang. If not for Holy Shit no one would be all that interested in them.

* {{Touche}}: Hulka thought he was getting a leg up from being stuck in the Allentown Brothers trunk when cheddar ordered him locked in his trunk, [[{{Understatement}} he quickly changed his tune]] seeing as the big hungry python in the back seat proved otherwise.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Invoked, to put it politely the kitten is a jinx. First being owned by a drug cartel owner, changing hands to psychotic super criminals only to end in the hands of every man Rell then wind back up in a criminal outfit again, bringing all manor of crook & plunderer chaos with him every step of the way.

* CreepySouvenir: Oil Dresden of the Allentown Brothers collects severed penises. It's as disgusting as it sounds. Also doubles as a brick joke due to Rell's comments at Anna Faris' party.

* ButtMonkey: Hulka, to a [[UpToEleven humorous extent]]. First gets interrogated by a couple a homebodies, whom he correctly pegged as nerds, only to have his vintage records damaged when he dumped on a desperate man's loss. He the gets hog tied and stuffed in a trunk of the Allentown Brothers car when they catch him looting Rell's home stealing his 6' flatscreen as they were looking for clues about Keanu. Then he is found by chedder and his gang who ordered the fake Allentown's Rell and Clarence to off him to prove their credibility, when they refused he had his crew put him in the back of they're care instead; [[PunctuatedForEmphasis With A BIG HUNGRY PYTHON in the backseat]] leaving him there the entire night screaming. Finally at the movies end The police who arrive on scene open the trunk to find Hulka half eaten by said extra passenger begging the cops to kill it due to the pain hes in. All in all, the poor drug dealer cannot catch a break yet given his JerkAss tendencies he kinda deserves it.

** While impersonating the Allentown Brothers at Anna Faris' truth or dare game, Rell claims to have cut the dicks off of two guys. Later it turns out that Oil Dresden really does keep a collection of severed penises.

* BigNo: Rell After his cousin shows him Keanu's disheveled pet collar. Bonus points for drama [[CaughtInTheRain as he runs out into a deluge]].

* BondOneLiner: "I don't drive... [[{{Beat}} He Does]]" [[spoiler: Points to Clarence just moments before he hits Bacon with a stolen car.]]

* UnfortunateNames: The Blips make their base above a strip club called Hot Pretty Vixens. They abbreviate the name on their marquee, and Clarence [[LampshadeHanging points out]] how unfortunate the name is.

* BondOneLiner: "He's the one who drives" [[spoiler: just before Clarence hits Bacon with a stolen car.]]

* TheCameo: Creator/AnnaFaris shows up as the client that Rell has to sell drugs to in order to get Cheddar's respect. [[spoiler: She's [[FakingTheDead apparently killed by Hi-C]], although it all turns out to have been a part of Hi-C's sting operation.]]

* TheCameo: Creator/AnnaFaris shows up as the client that Rell has to sell drugs to in order to get Cheddar's respect. [[spoiler: She's [[FakingTheDead apparently killed by Hi-C]], although it all [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed turns out to have been a part of Hi-C's sting operation]].]]

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[spoiler: Even though Anna Faris looked pretty bad there, it turned out it was all part of a sting.]]

* FantasticDrug: Holy Shit is described as a combination of cocaine, methamphetamine, and mushrooms.

* ShoutOut: Not surprisingly, all over the place for Creator/KeanuReeves, beginning with the kitten’s name, going to Rell’s hobby of remaking film scenes with the kitten (including ''Film/PointBreak''), the kitten quoting several Reeves roles during a drug trip [[spoiler: voiced [[TheCameo by Keanu Reeves]] himself]], and the plot being a StealthParody of Reeves’ ''Film/JohnWick''.

* GuiltyPleasures: Clarence is a ''huge'' fan of Creator/GeorgeMichael, which Rell uses as proof of how lame he is. [[spoiler: When Clarence puts on his music while waiting for Rell and Hi-C to do the drug deal, George Michael comes on, and he manages to convince the gangsters with him that George Michael is actually cool, to the point where Stitches actually gets a George Michael tattoo later.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: What happens when Hulka tries to steal Rell's television? [[spoiler: The Allentown Brothers come by, looking for Keanu, and they tie him up and lock him in their trunk.]]

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[spoiler: Even though Anna Faris looked pretty bad there, it turned out it was all an act.]]

* [[PetTheDog Pet the Cat]]: ''Everyone'' thinks that Keanu is just the most adorable kitten ever. Cheddar is a hardcore gangster who has a large boa constrictor for a pet.. but he still loves the kitten. The Allentown Brothers are a pair of silent psychopaths, and even they make sure to nuzzle with the kitten when given the chance.
* PsychoExGirlfriend: Averted. Rell's girlfriend broke up with him before the events of the movie because his life wasn't going anywhere. And Rell's reaction- attaching her photo to Keanu's scratching post- is spiteful, but not particularly unhealthy.

** Truck mentions that he has a knock out punch. In the climax he can be seen knocking someone out in the background.