Apple TV’s Neuromancer: The Cyberpunk Successor To Keanu Reeves’ 90s Sci-Fi Film

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Apple TV+’s new sci-fi series is a thrilling cyberpunk story that feels like a spiritual successor to a fantastic, but often overlooked, Keanu Reeves film from the 1990s.

When you think of Keanu Reeves, the 1990s, and science fiction, The Matrix probably comes to mind first. But there’s another fun, clever sci-fi film from that decade starring Reeves that often gets overlooked. Despite being released 30 years ago, it’s rarely discussed by fans of the genre, and it didn’t receive much positive attention from critics when it first came out.

After years of being overlooked, Keanu Reeves’s film deserves a revisit. It’s a hidden gem and, importantly, provides excellent context for Apple TV’s new cyberpunk series. The movie and show share significant similarities, making it a great choice to watch before the series premieres.

Apple TV Is Adapting William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Which Connects To A Criminally Underrated Sci-Fi Film

Before starring in the hit film The Matrix in 1999, Keanu Reeves appeared in Johnny Mnemonic in 1995. Johnny Mnemonic was based on a short story by William Gibson, originally published in 1981. Now, Apple TV is creating a series based on Gibson’s debut novel, Neuromancer, which he wrote three years after Johnny Mnemonic.

It’s fascinating that both Johnny Mnemonic and Neuromancer share the same futuristic world, making the Apple TV series a natural continuation of the Keanu Reeves film. Fans of these stories know this world as “the Sprawl,” a place defined by cutting-edge cybernetics, powerful global corporations, and a vast digital cyberspace.

Though released earlier, Johnny Mnemonic actually paved the way for William Gibson’s Neuromancer, a novel that became hugely important in science fiction. Many popular sci-fi films, including The Matrix, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell, have taken inspiration from the ideas and concepts first explored in Neuromancer.

Both Neuromancer and Johnny Mnemonic include the character Molly Millions, who was renamed Jane in the movie adaptation of Johnny Mnemonic. Because Molly Millions is a central figure in the original Neuromancer novel, she’s expected to appear in the upcoming Apple TV series. Despite the uncertainty of how the adaptation will turn out, Johnny Mnemonic is still considered a hidden treasure within the science fiction genre.

When this movie was first released, critics didn’t like it, and it still has a low score of 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. It didn’t perform well at the box office either, especially with the popularity of The Matrix around the same time. While its over-the-top style isn’t for everyone, it’s a great example of the common themes and character types that define science fiction and cyberpunk today.

While not as groundbreaking as The Matrix, the film offers some thought-provoking scenes and should be recognized for its role in shaping the action genre and Keanu Reeves’ career.

Apple TV’s Neuromancer Can Help Johnny Mnemonic Gain The Respect It Deserves

Apple TV has been consistently successful with its science fiction series, and its upcoming adaptation of Neuromancer looks promising. The fact that author William Gibson is closely involved in the show’s creation suggests it will be a high-quality production.

If the Apple TV adaptation of Neuromancer successfully captures the essence of cyberpunk, it could reignite interest in the genre and finally bring Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Mnemonic the recognition it’s earned.

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2025-11-16 06:58