"Point Break" is being re-released in theaters for its 35th anniversary starting August 16. You need to go see it.
Now, let me elaborate a little: You really need to go see it. This movie may not be the best movie of the 1990s (after all, "Goodfellas" exists), but it's up there. And it's genuinely my favorite '90s movie. It's Keanu Reeves' best performance outside of "John Wick." It's Patrick Swayze's best performance, period. And it's personally my pick for Kathryn Bigelow's best film, even if she ultimately won an Oscar for "The Hurt Locker" nearly two decades after this 1991 action movie.
But the reach of this movie extends a bit beyond that. It was executive produced by a little-known director (and Bigelow's husband at the time) named James Cameron. He even claims he wrote the script — something that the movie's writer, W. Peter Iliff, doesn't fully dispute.
It's been given a nod to in several other films. Just this year, Russell Crowe's action crime thriller, "The Get Out," pays homage to it. If you've ever seen a gang of people wearing U.S. President masks, that's a reference to this movie. It spawned one of the greatest spiritual remakes ever, 2001's "The Fast and the Furious." Admittedly, it also spawned an actual remake, but we in the filmgoing community have collectively repressed that said remake ever existed. It's that bad.
In short, "Point Break is a seminal '90s movie. It features some of Hollywood's best at peak performance. Its influence in films is still felt today. So watching it in general is a no-brainer. If you can, you should go see it in theaters now that it's been restored in 4K. But if you can't, there is a way to stream it at home for free.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022 and has covered the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
What is 'Point Break' about?
Set in 1980s Los Angeles, "Point Break" stars Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah. He's a former Ohio State quarterback (not to be confused with Shane Falco, the former Buckeye QB whom Reeves portrayed in "The Replacements") turned FBI rookie, and he's tasked with investigating a rash of bank robberies by the "Ex-Presidents."
These criminals get their names from the rubber masks they wear, portraying former U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson. They only rob tellers, not vaults, and try to avoid bloodshed. The senior FBI agent who's partnered with Johnny, Pappas (Gary Busey), thinks that the thieves are surfers and he wants Johnny to infiltrate the group.
Now, if that sounds a lot like "The Fast and the Furious," that's because it does. So you can already guess what happens next. Johnny infiltrates the group of surfers, led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), and concludes they're the Ex-Presidents. But he grows close to them along the way and falls for Bodhi's ex-girlfriend, Tyler (Lori Petty). So when the time comes to bring them down, things get complicated.
'Point Break' is a seminal movie for Keanu, Swayze and the 1990s — see it the way it was meant to be seen
At this point, you know why "Point Break" is a movie worth seeing. You know what it's about. What you don't know is why it's a must-see now that it's been restored in 4K and is showing again in theaters.
I've gone and seen a few of these re-releases in the past. I went and saw Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" last year for its 40th anniversary, and it was incredible. It's a movie I had seen plenty before, but seeing it for the first time on the big screen was a revelation.
I also went and saw the re-releases of "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" earlier this year for the former's 40th anniversary. Like with "Ran," seeing "Top Gun" on the big screen for the first time was incredible. But even getting to see "Top Gun: Maverick" in theaters again was worth the price of admission.
If you're not sold on "Point Break" yet, though, or you don't have time to go out to the movies, there is an alternative. The original version (non-4K resolution) of "Point Break" is streaming for free on Pluto TV, Tubi, and more of the best free streaming services. So go ahead, stream it now for free, and then go see it in theaters while it's at select locations from August 16-19.
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