Keanu Reeves Underrated Action Flop ’47 Ronin’ Makes a Comeback on Streaming

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Keanu Reeves has a fantastic action movie that’s finally getting the attention it deserves thanks to streaming. Released just before his breakout role in John Wick, this film was based on a real-life story and featured a strong cast, including actors from the classic series Shogun. While critics didn’t love it and it didn’t do well in theaters initially, audiences are rediscovering it now, and it’s definitely worth a watch.

Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tadanobu Asano starred in the 2013 film 47 Ronin, which is loosely based on a true story from 1701. The film tells the tale of 47 samurai who fought to avenge their fallen leader. While the movie takes some creative liberties – Keanu Reeves plays a character with a mixed background named Kai – it’s a fun action flick. If you’re looking for something to watch (and who isn’t when Keanu Reeves is involved!), it’s currently streaming on HBO Max and is a popular choice, ranking as the 10th most-watched movie on the platform worldwide.

The movie 47 Ronin marked the directorial debut of Carl Rinsch, and unfortunately, it also turned out to be his last. Surprisingly, a first-time director was given a massive $170 million budget to make what was expected to be a huge hit. However, the film was poorly received by both critics and audiences when it was released. It currently has a very low 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences were slightly more forgiving, giving it a 48% score. Clearly, 47 Ronin didn’t become the next action blockbuster like John Wick. The negative reviews kept people away from theaters, and the film only earned $151 million worldwide. While that’s a significant amount, it was still a considerable loss given the enormous cost of making it.

’47 Ronin’ Has a Secret, Terrible Sequel

The original 47 Ronin film didn’t perform well in theaters, but Hollywood still decided to try and launch a franchise. Blade of the 47 Ronin, directed by Ron Yuan, came out in 2022, and unfortunately, it wasn’t well-received. The film stars Anna Akana, Luna Fujimoto, and Daniel Southworth, and tells the story of Luna, a descendant of the original 47 Ronin, who has to battle the daughter of the witch they defeated in the first movie.

Critics largely ignored Blade of the 47 Ronin, and it only has one review on Rotten Tomatoes, giving it a 2 out of 5 stars. Viewers who did see the film weren’t impressed, giving it a 25% rating.

’47 Ronin’s Director Was Sued by Netflix


Universal Pictures

As we discussed earlier, sometimes projects don’t get finished, and that’s what happened with Carl Rinsch and Netflix. In December 2025, Rinsch was convicted of fraud after taking $11 million from Netflix for a TV series that was never made. He spent $1 million of that money on luxury items like a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari, and expensive bedding – hopefully, it was worth the cost!

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2026-03-04 20:02