In a cinematic landscape that rarely surprises, it’s heartening to see a filmmaker attempt something genuinely daring. Enter Ruben Östlund, the Swedish auteur who last dazzled us with his class-skewering satire Triangle of Sadness, now poised to deliver a new vision of modern malaise—this time, at 30,000 feet. Keanu Reeves’ next movie, The Entertainment System Is Down, promises to be a taut, high-altitude think piece that might just rattle our nerves as much as our notions of inflight entertainment.
Production is set to begin in January 2025, and the choice of setting could hardly be more delicious: the entirety of The Entertainment System Is Down will unfold inside a genuine, decommissioned Boeing 747. Rather than making do with cramped sets and pasted-on cabin windows, Östlund has gone all-in by purchasing a real aircraft. Such a move suggests that claustrophobia, tension, and an unsettling authenticity will flow as steadily as the recycled cabin air.
Keanu Reeves’ next movie boasts a cast that’s as eclectic as it is formidable. Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, and Woody Harrelson join Reeves on this long-haul flight to nowhere, each poised to inhabit roles that remain tightly under wraps. What we do know is that they’ll be playing passengers forced to endure the one scenario modern travelers dread even more than turbulence: a total entertainment blackout. No seat-back screens, no familiar streaming libraries—just the unsettling quiet of one’s own thoughts.
Östlund was inspired by a sobering psychological study, one that suggested people can scarcely last a quarter of an hour alone with their own minds before growing restless. In a world powered by distraction and digital comforts, how will a plane full of restless souls survive long hours in the clouds, bereft of games, music, or even the faint comfort of bad movies? If Triangle of Sadness poked fun at social hierarchies stranded at sea, The Entertainment System Is Down looks to examine modern reliance on technology as we hurtle through the skies—perhaps, ironically, disconnected from the very gadgets that bind us together.
As for distribution, A24 will handle the U.S. release, adding yet another intriguing collaboration to their resume of intelligent, boundary-pushing cinema. With no firm release date and very few plot details confirmed, anticipation is part of the package. But if history is any guide, Östlund’s willingness to experiment with form and setting means we may be in for a claustrophobic chamber drama that picks at the psyche’s raw nerves.
For fans of Keanu Reeves’ next movie, it’s a reminder that the star remains committed to exploring new territory. Far from the familiar action beats, Reeves’s involvement here hints at something more introspective—an actor venturing into the existential turbulence that Östlund so gleefully conjures. It may not be the sort of film where our hero saves the day with a perfectly timed roundhouse kick. Instead, The Entertainment System Is Down could be the rare experience that pushes both audience and star into truly uncharted airspace.
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