Netflix has finally added a sci-fi cult-classic that people either love or hate, with very little in between. The film was such an inspiration, in fact, that it was what helped the Wachowskis, famous sibling duo directors, get The Matrix made. Fearing that their initial pitch for what would become their biggest movie was too weird, they actually used this film as a template—and the studios took the bait, giving us one of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time.
Johnny Mnemonic, based on the story by William Gibson and starring Keanu Reeves, centers around a data courier named Johnny (Reeves) who possesses a secret stash of information that was implanted into his mind. However, if Johnny can’t retrieve and access the data within 48 hours, it will self-destruct, killing him in the process. Accompanied by Jane, played by Dina Meyer, a physically enhanced bodyguard, Johnny heads out on the perilous journey to acquire the passwords that will save his life, only to discover that he’s being hunted by violent criminals and the businessman who hired them, all desperate to get their hands on the data he holds.
It’s An Absolutely Underrated Cult-Classic
Critics hated this movie, and it brought in a dismal 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. Most called it a cringey, cyberpunk thriller, stripping the film down to its base parts without seeing the meaning of the story beneath it, entirely missing the memo that it was intentionally campy and cult. “You can have a better time title-scanning Johnny pics in an alphabetical video guide than you can enduring the latest Blade Runner knockoff,” said Mike Clark of USA Today. Roger Ebert followed that review up with one of his own, saying, “Johnny Mnemonic is one of the great goofy gestures of recent cinema, a movie that doesn’t deserve one nanosecond of serious analysis but has a kind of idiotic grandeur that makes you almost forgive it.”
It seems those critics missed the point. But Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian grasped it, saying, “It poignantly juxtaposes its futurism with a yearning for the past, in the form of Johnny’s abandoned memories. As for Reeves, he is always best when he is calm and frowningly subdued.” One audience member said, “It’s a great cyberpunk movie, the acting isn’t always perfect, the editing isn’t always great, but the actors within the movie, the world that it draws you into, the overall ‘vibe’ of the movie being dark, gritty, nocturnal, in a sense, is just great. Part of my personal view is based on the context of it being a movie of its time, the actors being who they are, and the fact that it used to show up late at night on TV, probably makes me feel more favorable toward it, however.”
Though this viewer sums it up best: “What in the actual proto-Matrix f*ck. Love!”
So if you want to binge some cyberpunk weirdness, Johnny Mnemonic is absolutely the way to do so.
Did you enjoy Johnny Mnemonic? Let us know your favorite moments in the comments! And then head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other sci-fi fans are saying.