The Wachowskis "The Matrix", a science fiction action film, in 1999. The movie stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, a hacker recruited by a rebellion to aid them in the fight against machines who have taken over the world and placed humanity inside a simulated reality called "the Matrix". Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano also star. The movie was a critical and commercial hit for Warner Bros. It won four Academy Awards, including for "Best Visual Effects" for popularizing the bullet time visual effect. "The Matrix" came to be a major influence for action movies and has appeared in
Keanu Reeves his films. After a few minor roles, Reeves received a sizeable role in the 1986 drama film "River's Edge", which depicted how a murder affected a group of teens. Following this film's critical success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including the lead roles in "Permanent Record" and the unexpectedly successful 1989 comedy, "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", along with its 1991 sequel, "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey". The same year he had a breakout role in the movie "Parenthood". From 1991, Reeves played bass guitar in the grunge band Dogstar.