john wick 2014 movie review

Just when John Wick thought he was out, they pull him back in.

It’s the tried-and-true formula of one last job/heist/assignment. A longtime bad guy leaves the life of crime in pursuit of peace and quiet, but naturally gets dragged back to his old haunts and habits to settle a final score. But “John Wick” breathes exhilarating life into this tired premise, thanks to some dazzling action choreography, stylish visuals and–most importantly–a vintage anti-hero performance from Keanu Reeves .

Toward the end of the film, a menacing Russian mobster remarks that the veteran hit man John Wick looks very much like the John Wick of old. Keanu Reeves looks very much like the Keanu Reeves of old, as well. Elegantly handsome and athletically lean, he looks fantastic at 50 and is comfortably, securely back in action-star mode. Not that he’s been gone that long–or deviated that much from his persona–but this later-stage butt-kicking does call to mind Liam Neeson ’s recent resurgence in movies like “ Taken ,” “ The Grey ” and “ Non-Stop .”

After all these years, though, he’s still quintessentially Keanu. He radiates a Zen-like calm which makes him simultaneously elusive and irresistible, especially in the face of great mayhem. There’s still a boyish quality to his face but it belies the wisdom of his years. He’s smarter than he looks but he’s in no great hurry to go out of his way to prove it to you–at least, not on screen. He just … is.

A character like John Wick is right in Reeves’ wheelhouse because it allows him to be coolly, almost mythically confident, yet deliver an amusing, deadpan one-liner with detached precision. (This is when traces of the playful characters of his youth–Ted “Theodore” Logan and Johnny Utah–take a moment to surface.) But when the time comes–and it comes often in “John Wick”–he can deliver with a graceful yet powerful physicality.

Soon after the death of his wife ( Bridget Moynahan )–the woman whose love inspired him to retire from his life as an expert assassin–Wick receives an unwelcome visit to his minimalist, modern mansion in the middle of the night. Russian bad guys have come to steal his prized 1969 Mustang–and they kill his dog in the process. The latter act is horrifying in itself; what’s even worse is that the adorable beagle puppy, Daisy, was a posthumous gift to John from his dying wife, who knew he’d need someone else to love.

(Moynahan’s character, by the way, is barely even a person. She’s an image on a smartphone video clip–a body lying in a hospital bed, suffering from an unspecified disease. She’s an idea. But her loss provides Wick with a melancholy that lingers over his demeanor and every decision he makes.)

Wick wastes no time unearthing his stashed arsenal and seeking revenge. It turns out that the group’s reckless, young leader, Iosef ( Alfie Allen ), is the son of a former associate of Wick’s: mob boss Viggo Tarasov (a sophisticated but scary Michael Nyqvist ), who is fully aware of Wick’s killing capacity. Also in the mix is Willem Dafoe as an expert sniper who may or may not be on Wick’s side. Once the premise is established in the script from Derek Kolstad , it’s scene after scene of Wick taking out entire rooms full of people who are foolish enough to stand in his way. This is not exactly a complicated genre from a narrative perspective.

But directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch –who work as a filmmaking team, although Leitch technically takes producing credit–are both veteran stuntmen who clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to this kind of balletic action. Stahelski got his break 20 years ago when he served as a stunt double following Brandon Lee ’s deadly accident while shooting “The Crow” and went on to perform as Reeves’ stunt double in “The Matrix” trilogy. Leitch’s work includes doubling for Brad Pitt (in “ Fight Club ” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”) and Matt Damon (in “ The Bourne Ultimatum ”).

All those years of experience and exposure give their film a level of confidence you don’t ordinarily see in first-time directors. They’re smart enough to let the intricate choreography speak for itself. They let the fight scenes play out without relying on a lot of nauseating shaky-cam or Cuisinart edits, which sadly have become the aesthetic standard of late.

But beyond the exquisite brutality they put on display, they’ve also got an eye for artistry, with cinematographer Jonathan Sela helping convey an ominous sense of underworld suspense. Early scenes are so crisply desaturated, they look black and white, from the cloudy, rainy skies over Wick’s wife’s funeral to his head-to-toe wardrobe to his sleek, slate-gray Mustang. As Wick begins to re-immerse himself in the criminal world he’d escaped, other scenes pop in their vibrancy–the deep green of a secret, members-only cocktail bar, or the rich red of a Russian bad guy’s shirt under an impeccably tailored suit.

While the body count grows numbing and repetitive, “John Wick” actually is more compelling in the aesthetically heightened, specifically detailed world it depicts. It’s the New York City of the here and now, but Wick, his fellow assassins and other sundry nefarious sorts occupy their own parallel version of it, with its own peculiar rules which almost seem quaint. They have their own currency: gold coins reminiscent of pirates’ doubloons, which can be used for goods and services or just as thanks for a favor. And they frequent an upscale, downtown hotel and bar called The Continental ( Lance Reddick from “The Wire” is the unflappably polite manager), a sort of safe zone where protocol dictates that peace prevails, and where killing is cause for dismissal. The courtliness of it all provides an amusing and welcome contrast to the non-stop carnage.

You can check out any time you’d like, it seems, but you can never leave.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Dean Winters as Avi
• Ian McShane as Winston
• Lance Reddick as Charon
• Michael Nyqvist as Viggo Tarasov
• Willem Dafoe as Marcus
• Alfie Allen as Iosef Tarasov
• Keanu Reeves as John Wick
• Bridget Moynahan as Helen
• Adrianne Palicki as Ms. Perkins
• John Leguizamo as Aureilo
• Chad Stahelski
• David Leitch
• Derek Kolstad

Cinematography

• Jonathan Sela

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John Wick Reviews

Ultimately, “John Wick” is a testament to the fact that plots don’t matter; it’s how stories are told that actually does. The film knows precisely what kind of movie it is: one that kicks serious ass and provides moviegoers a fantastic time out.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 9, 2024

John Wick is pure TNT and without a doubt, Keanu Reeves' best movie since The Matrix (1999). [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Jul 1, 2024

Unrefined, stilted, and rough in places, the film’s leanness and coherent action can’t make up for the fact that Keanu Reeves is close to wooden and doesn’t offer much as an actor.

Full Review | May 11, 2024

Another aspect of John Wick that is worthy of note is its world-building. Written by Derek Kolstad, the story is full of little details that leave us wondering about this uncanny universe.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 29, 2024

The action is undeniably exciting and unconventional, but what really drives the picture is the emotional weight of the story and Reeves' morose performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 20, 2023

As you would expect from former stunt coordinators, the action scenes are dynamic and that might be enough, but the emotional thread that motivates Chapter One is exceptionally constructed, justifying much of the rage and murder.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 2, 2023

Even with the CGI taken out, the trade of po-faced filler for action righteousness is still in effect.

Full Review | Jan 24, 2023

It’s definitely a movie made for a particular audience, and if wall-to-wall action and stylized violence isn’t your cup of tea, neither is “John Wick”.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 22, 2022

For all of its familiar plot elements, the movie knows when to step back, let Keanu do his thing, and watch the impressive fight and gunplay choreography throughout.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 18, 2022

The directors find new ways to stage and frame these deadly encounters in a way that constantly feels fresh and exciting.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 10, 2021

The original John Wick showed beloved icon Keanu Reeves still had plenty of action in him post-Matrix.

Full Review | Jul 28, 2021

Wick is so tough he doesn't bother to take off his blood-soaked shirt when he starts his quest for vengeance and the movie is just as uncompromising.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 2, 2021

Rock music, cold stares, and plenty of bullets emphasize Wick's proficiency, as the plot needs all the help it can get to impart the coolness it desperately wants to exhibit.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 4, 2020

For a dour narrative about death, loss, and violence, it's surprisingly good natured.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jul 7, 2020

Just when i thought that Keanu Reeves had retired from the action genre, he appears back and in revenge mode with the amazing John Wick. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 26, 2020

John Wick is the slick, empty, cruel hero the age of Trump deserves - but hey, at least he likes dogs!

Full Review | Nov 22, 2019

Occasionally ridiculous, it is action-packed, stylish and a return to form for Mr Reeves.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 19, 2019

The script defines an amazing microcosm that surrounds the profession of the protagonist. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 29, 2019

Simply put, John Wick is probably one of the best action movies in a decade. From an efficient story to incredible fight sequences and an action start that just doesn't seem to quite, John Wick is as close to perfect as I've ever seen.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Aug 7, 2019

Directed by long-time stuntmen David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, it is exactly the sort of movie you would expect from long-time stuntmen: brutal, close-up fighting, nearly nonstop gunplay and the slightest story legally allowed.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 30, 2019

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John Wick Is a Violent, Violent, Violent Film, But Oh-So Beautiful

With any other actor in the role, the relentless revenge flick John Wick could have been just another variation on the Neesonian man-with-special-set-of-skills-kills-everybody genre. But with an actor as ethereal and ageless as Keanu Reeves in the lead, it becomes something else — more abstract and mythic.

At this point, Reeves can do stoic and haunted in his sleep. As John Wick begins, he’s (stoically, hauntedly) mourning the recent loss of his wife to a terrible illness. But then a little dog is delivered to his door one day — accompanied by a card bearing the same yellow-daisy design as his late wife’s coffee mug. It turns out she bought the puppy for him to help him grieve after her death. She was right: Having the pitter-patter of an adorable mutt following him around and jumping into his cold, empty bed with him does seem to brighten Wick’s day — marginally. (He’s still pretty stoic and haunted.) Thing is, the guy has nothing else to do. He lives in this giant, sleek, ultramodern house and drives a beautiful black ‘69 Ford Mustang. Most of his time seems to be spent taking care of his dog or angrily doing 360s and gunning his car around a nearby private airfield. That’s how stoic, haunted badasses mourn in the movies.

Then, a group of young, stuck-up Russian thugs led by mob princeling Iosef (Alfie Allen) invade Wick’s home, beat him to within an inch of his life, steal his car … and kill his dog. When Wick wakes up, he finds his dog’s carcass nestled next to him, a trail of blood-soaked doggie footsteps on the floor — with its dying breaths, the poor little creature apparently dragged itself over to die alongside his owner. And people, I am telling you … I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted somebody in a movie dead as much as I wanted those punks dead at this point in John Wick . This is shameless cinematic manipulation of the first order, but the film knows to parcel it out in doses. In The Equalizer , the manipulation never stopped; once Denzel Washington’s character got going, the villains’ brutality increased exponentially. John Wick is cleaner: It gives us a visceral reason for the bloodshed, but then it plays it cool. Its ambitions are aesthetic, not moral.

Up until this point, the film has played coy about who John Wick actually is, but now the truth is revealed, in a slow, anticipatory, Chinese-water-torture drip of exposition. Derek Kolstadt’s screenplay understands that so much of a character’s magnetism depends on what happens when he  isn’t around, so the film has as much fun dancing around the details of Wick’s former life as it does in showing us just how exactly he goes about his business. But it turns out that before meeting his wife and retiring, Wick was a legendary hit man known as the Boogeyman. “John wasn’t exactly the boogeyman. He was the one you sent to kill the boogeyman,” elaborates his former employer, Russian mobster Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), who just so happens to be the father of the same hotheaded ignoramus who killed Wick’s dog.  Now the entire underworld is scrambling to prepare for the ultimate killer’s return, and the inevitable bloodletting that will ensue. The hushed, terrified tones with which the mobsters discuss Wick ahead of his arrival help prime us for the film’s action scenes.

And those action scenes are something else, too. Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski are veteran stunt coordinators, so the fighting, the shooting, the neck-snapping and back-breaking and head-exploding are shot with startling fluidity. But they also appear to have taken a few pages from the heyday of arty action like La Femme Nikita and The Professional , films that were built not on anything real, but on our collective cinematic dreams of genre. When Wick chases one Russian in the middle of a rave, what’s onscreen becomes as much about the spiraling patterns on the club’s video screens and the gyrating dancers as it does about the actual pursuit at hand. The fight scenes themselves develop their own dancelike rhythm and grace.

None of this is new: Filmmakers have been aestheticizing violence for as long as movies have been around, and the idea of yet another action flick with hot music and cool images (however hot the music, however cool the images) may not strike many as cause for celebration. But John Wick commits to its defiant unreality, giving us a fantastical underworld of ritual, mythic figures and color-coded spaces. When Wick kills a bunch of goons in his home, he calls a professional mob-body-cleanup service led by a guy who looks like the Reaper himself. He pays for everything in gold coins that appear to be the currency of this realm. There’s even a common hotel that all the hit men stay at, with its own rules (no business conducted on the premises, or you pay a hefty fee) and its own secret spaces, such as a basement bar where owner Ian McShane holds court and dispenses wisdom over a martini. Such genre fantasies give the directors plenty of cover. John Wick is a violent, violent, violent film, but its artful splatter is miles away from the brutality of Taken or the gleeful gore of The Equalizer . It’s a beautiful coffee-table action movie.

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‘john wick’: film review.

Keanu Reeves and 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's' Michael Nyqvist play antagonistic gangland adversaries in Reeves' return to atmospheric actioners

By Justin Lowe

Justin Lowe

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In an intriguing cinematic twist, Keanu Reeves ’ Matrix  stunt double Chad Stahelski becomes his co-director, with David Leitch,  on John Wick , a visceral revenge thriller that marks a confident, muscular action debut. After a marked absence from the genre, Reeves resoundingly returns with an effortless, kinetic style that positions the film extremely well for any potential follow-ups.

With much of the marketplace distracted by awards contenders and the seasonal onslaught of horror offerings, John Wick  may find an opening to start building some seriously sustained momentum with both male and female Reeves fans during its initial rollout.

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Economically recapping the recent personal loss of retired Russian mob assassin John Wick (Reeves) in nested flashbacks following the untimely death of his wife, Helen ( Bridget Moynahan ), the opening scenes find Wick shuffling around in a fog of grief before latching on

to his only remaining connection to her, a beagle puppy named Daisy that Helen arranged as a gift before her passing. As he struggles to regain any sense of normalcy, the dog and fond memories of his marriage give Wick some hope for the future, but it proves short-lived when he’s antagonized by petulant young gangster Iosef ( Alfie Allen ), who tries to intimidate Wick into selling his classic 1969 black Mustang. When that doesn’t work, Iosef and his crew break into Wick’s New Jersey home to steal the car, leaving him battered and bloodied before Iosef kills Daisy in a fit of pique.

Wick quickly snaps back into cold-blooded killer mode even after five years on the sidelines once he’s deprived of his only remaining solace, determined to hunt Iosef down in retribution. Unearthing his stash of weapons and cash, Wick discovers that his target is actually the son of his former gang boss Viggo ( Michael Nyqvist ). Fully realizing who they’re up against, Viggo tells Iosef: “It’s not what you did that angers me so, it’s who you did it to,” even though he’s committed to protecting his son’s life by putting a $2 million price on Wick’s head. First to consider the opportunity is Wick’s former colleague Marcus ( Willem Dafoe ), a crack sniper, as well as Perkins ( Adrianne Palicki ), a female contract killer who’s as deadly as she is gorgeous.

Wick checks into New York’s Continental Hotel, a declared neutral zone for mobsters of all stripes, quickly getting back in touch with his old underworld contacts to begin gathering information that can lead to Iosef. After Wick nearly wipes out half the security staff in a Russian nightclub in his quest to bring down his adversary, Viggo sends his son into hiding, but it’ll clearly take more than hired assassins and subterfuge to keep John Wick from claiming his due.

Read more  ‘John Wick’: Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe Talk “Fantasy” Drifting and Gun Fu Stunts

Derek Kolstad ’s admirably lean script propels the film’s galvanizing action with only the barest narrative essentials, quickly dispensing with the series of improbable coincidences necessitated by the initial setup. With rarely more than a quarter-hour between dynamically staged set pieces, there’s little time to wonder whether Wick has anything more on his mind than elemental revenge. As the body count skyrockets, however, the suspicion arises that he may in fact be making a final attempt at redemption by expiating his past transgressions with a final, cathartic convulsion of violence dedicated to the memory of his deceased wife.

Whatever his inner motivations, Wick isn’t one to clearly articulate them, which makes the character a natural fit with Reeves’ typically taciturn demeanor. With his stringy dark hair, scraggly beard and lithe physique, he’s in excellent form throughout the film, whether battling his way through imaginatively staged fight sequences or handling an impressive array of firearms and lethal blades.

Ironically, Nyqvist may be the more persuasive one with the turn of a phrase, but the outcome of Viggo’s final confrontation with Wick can only go one way. Although Allen doesn’t get much opportunity to develop Iosef beyond a simpering, spoiled brat and Palicki’s stone-cold killer would have benefited from a more central role, those shortcomings seem incidental in a movie where caricatures are almost more important than characters.

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Distilling a couple of decades of stunt work and second-unit directing experience into 96 minutes of runtime, Stahelski and Leitch expertly deliver one action highlight after another in a near-nonstop thrill ride. With a tendency to favor skillfully framed master shots over quick cuts from multiple angles, they immerse viewers in dynamic onscreen clashes that recall John Woo ’s classic bullet ballets with an overlay of emotional intensity.

Cinematographer Jonathan Sela bathes even daytime scenes in grim gray shadows and expressive blue hues that are sometimes broodingly dense even in Imax format, further enhanced by Elisabet Ronalds ’ focused editing.

Production companies: Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, 87Eleven Productions, MJW Films Cast: Keanu Reeves, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Bridget Regan, John Leguizamo , Adrianne Palicki, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Toby Leonard Moore Directors: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch Screenwriter: Derek Kolstad Producers: Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria, Michael Witherill Executive producers: Peter Lawson, Mike Upton, Joseph Vincenti, Erica Lee, Kevin Frakes, Raj Singh, Tara Moross, Darren Blumenthal, Jared D. Underwood, Andrew C. Robinson, Sam X. Eyde Director of photography:Jonathan Sela Production designer: Dan Leigh Costume designer: Luca Mosca Editor: Elisabet Ronalds Music: Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard Casting director: Suzanne Smith Crowley

Rated R, 96 minutes 

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Film Review: ‘John Wick’

Back in action-hero mode, Keanu Reeves joins forces with his 'Matrix' stunt double to deliver a slick and satisfying revenge thriller.

By Peter Debruge

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There are no good guys in “ John Wick ,” but there are some great actors working alongside Keanu Reeves in his darkest and most tormented role yet: a stunningly lethal contract killer who goes on a rampage after a Russian thug murders his dog. Yes, his dog. If you can stomach the setup, then the rest is pure revenge-movie gold, as Reeves reminds what a compelling action star he can be, while the guy who served as his stunt double in “The Matrix” makes a remarkably satisfying directorial debut, delivering a clean, efficient and incredibly assured thriller with serious breakout potential, thanks in part to Summit’s simultaneous Imax release.

That unsung hero is Chad Stahelski, the stunt guru who stepped into Brandon Lee’s shoes on “The Crow” and spent the next two decades absorbing all the behind-the-scenes filming lessons that make “John Wick” such a technically impeccable actioner. (Stahelski and longtime stunt collaborator David Leitch approached the project as a team, but only Stahelski ultimately received directing credit from the DGA, while Leitch is credited as a producer.) Whereas the tendency among many other helmers is to jostle the camera and cut frenetically in the misguided belief that visual confusion generates excitement, the duo understand what a thrill well-choreographed action can be when we’re actually able to make out what’s happening.

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And that’s why Reeves serves as just the right star to play Wick, a short-fuse antihero whose ridiculous moniker (borrowed from screenwriter Derek Kolstad’s grandfather) clumsily conveys his explosive temper. There’s nothing clumsy about the actor who plays Wick, however, as Reeves’ lithe physicality enables extended sequences in which he moves athletically through an environment full of adversaries, shooting, stabbing or otherwise immobilizing them one at a time.

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Since brutally efficient action sequences are in such short supply these days, the fact that “John Wick” delivers no fewer than half a dozen — home invasion, hotel room, Red Circle club, church parking lot, Brooklyn safehouse, grand finale — more than excuses Kolstad’s lame-brained script. Basically, the idea is to mislead audiences into believing that Reeves’ character is a mild-mannered family man, compressing the preceding few months of personal tragedy into a montage in which Wick visits his wife (Bridget Moynahan) in hospital, attends her rain-drenched funeral (where former colleague Marcus, played by Willem Dafoe, makes an ominous appearance), and weeps upon receiving her final gift: a pre-trained puppy named Daisy.

This intro doesn’t exactly position Wick as someone Russian mobsters would refer to as “the Boogey Man,” but of course, everyone in the theater already knows what’s coming. Far from fooling anyone, this mopey opening merely provides an awkward bit of melodrama to get past before the carnage can commence — which it does soon enough, when “Game of Thrones” goon Alfie Allen, playing the bratty son of a Russian crime boss, improbably shows up at a rural gas station and offers to buy Wick’s prized 1969 Boss Mustang. When Wick declines, the punk and his friends decide to break into his house and help themselves, beating Wick with baseball bats, smashing his things, snapping the poor dog’s neck and taking the Mustang on their way out.

While killing a dog hardly seems enough to justify the meticulously orchestrated mayhem that follows, we should at least be grateful the pic doesn’t impose some greater emotional trauma upfront (like forcing us to witness his wife’s rape or murder, a la “Death Wish”). The script waits until this moment, when Iosef takes the stolen Mustang to the shop to have its plates changed, before revealing Wick’s reputation. The fence (a tough-looking John Leguizamo) nervously refuses to help, notifying Iosef’s relatively civilized mobster dad, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist, looking suave and collected in the face of certain death), that his son has awakened a monster.

One almost feels sorry for Stahelski, who’s been given such a soggy pulp screenplay to work with, and yet it’s during these B-movie scenes that we start to feel what he can bring to the table. In terms of material, “John Wick” is nothing special, but there’s a suave elegance to the way Stahelski and Leitch approach this thoroughly generic project, seizing the opportunity to deliver some pretty spectacular setpieces along the way.

The result, photographed in sleek, steady-hand widescreen by Vilmos Zsigmond protege Jonathan Sela, looks more like recent Nicolas Winding Refn pics than relatively sloppy studio fare (right down to its cool, neon-lit shootouts), relying on a mix of heavy metal and electronic music from the likes of Marilyn Manson, Tyler Bates and Kaleida to generate propulsive forward energy. Needless to say, Iosef and his thugs picked the wrong guy to mess with. But their mistake wasn’t stealing Wick’s car and killing his dog. Their mistake was not killing Wick when they had the chance.

As written, everyone seen onscreen is bad to some degree — from the lethal minx (Adrianne Palicki) who accepts a $4 million contract to kill Wick to the corrupt Catholic priest (Munro M. Bonnell) who protects the vault where Viggo stores his valuables — which means every bullet fired potentially stands to make this corrupt underworld a better place. Evidently, evil is relative, and some of these killers are more supportive of Wick than others, including Dafoe’s Marcus, a fellow sharpshooter who intervenes whenever Wick finds himself in a particularly tight spot, and Ian McShane, who plays the manager of the film’s most inspired location: a high-end hotel for assassins where the house rules demand that no killing be done on premises.

Clearly, “John Wick” isn’t set in the real world, but rather in the sort of heightened parallel dimension that gamers use for target practice, where they must constantly be on their guard as goons pop up from behind objects and around corners. That’s effectively how we experience the better part of the movie, tagging along as Wick hunts down Iosef and brings down Viggo’s entire criminal organization in the process. With long greasy hair and wispy facial hair, Reeves isn’t nearly as tough or intimidating as your typical revenge-movie antihero, but his star persona helps to make the film more fun — or at least a lot less bleak — than downbeat classics as “Rolling Thunder” and “Get Carter.” All that violence won’t bring Daisy back, but it helps to clear enough space in Wick’s cold-blooded heart for another dog. Maybe he’s not so bad after all.

Reviewed at Metropolitan Filmexport, Paris, Oct. 14, 2014. (In Fantastic Fest.) MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 101 MIN.

• Production: A Summit Entertainment release presented with Thunder Road Pictures, in association with 87Eleven Prods., Defynite Films. Produced by Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria. Executive producers, Peter Lawson, Mike Upton, Kevin Frakes, Raj Singh, Sam X. Eyde, Tara Moross, Darren Blumenthal, Joseph Vincenti, Erica Lee.
• Crew: Directed by Chad Stahelski. Screenplay, Derek Kolstad. Camera (color, widescreen), Jonathan Sela; editor, Elisabeth Ronalds; music, Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard; music supervisor, John Houlihan; production designer, Dan Leigh; art director, CJ Simpson; set decorator, Susan Bode Tyson; costume designer, Luca Mosca; sound (Dolby Digital), Danny Michael; supervising sound editor, Mark Stoeckinger; re-recording mixers, Jim Bolt, Martyn Zub; visual effects supervisor, Jake Braver; visual effects, Spin VFX; fight coordinator, Jonathan Eusebio; assistant director, John R. Saunders; stunt coordinator/second unit director, Darrin Prescott; casting, Suzanne Smith Crowley, Jessica Kelly.
• With: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Dean Winters, Adrianne Palicki, Omer Barnea, Toby Leonard Moore, Daniel Bernhardt, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bridget Regan, Lance Reddick, Munro M. Bonnell, Clarke Peters. (English, Russian dialogue)

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car. An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car. An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.

• Chad Stahelski
• Derek Kolstad
• Keanu Reeves
• Michael Nyqvist
• Alfie Allen
• 1.6K User reviews
• 347 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore
• 5 wins & 10 nominations

Top cast 85

• Viggo Tarasov

• Iosef Tarasov

• Ms. Perkins

• Hotel Manager …

• (as Kazimieras Tauginas)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia According to Keanu Reeves , he did 90% of his own stunts in the film.
• Goofs (at around 1h 1 min) Russian Orthodox Churches do not have benches inside. When John is walking into Little Russia Church, he is actually walking into a Catholic church.

Viggo Tarasov : I heard you struck my son.

Aurelio : Yes, sir, I did.

Viggo Tarasov : And may I ask why?

Aurelio : Yeah, well, because he stole John Wick's car, sir, and, uh, killed his dog.

Viggo Tarasov : [pause] Oh.

• Connections Edited into Honest Trailers: John Wick (2017)
• Soundtracks Get Money Written by Jason Paul Thibeau , Roy Whitney Anthony and Benjamin Smith Performed by Jason Paul Thibeau (as T-Bo) featuring Bengie B Courtesy of Firecracker Entertainment & Off The Heezy Entertainment By special arrangement with Paragon Film Music, LLC

User reviews 1.6K

• Sep 27, 2018
• Is 'John Wick' based on a book?
• What is "John Wick" about?
• What's the deal with the gold coins?
• October 24, 2014 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official site
• Otro día para matar
• Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
• Summit Entertainment
• Thunder Road Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $20,000,000 (estimated)
• $43,037,835
• $14,415,922
• Oct 26, 2014
• $86,081,850

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 41 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos

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‘John Wick’ (2014) Movie Review

By Brad Brevet

Five years ago John Wick ( Keanu Reeves ) retired from his life as a hitman. He settled down with his wife ( Bridget Moynahan ) and was leading a normal life. Unfortunately, “normal” was short-lived as she succumbed to cancer leaving John on his own to grieve, or so he thought. Late one night a knock comes to his door, a delivery, a gift from the beyond. It’s a small puppy with a note from his wife, a gift allowing him the opportunity not to grieve alone, or so he thought.

A few nights later and John has another visitor. No knocking this time, just three guys in ski masks come to steal his car and, subsequently kill his dog. The intruders leave John bloody and beaten, laying down next to his deceased puppy, his car stolen from his garage. The bad guys got away, or so they thought… And with that the fuse is lit for John Wick , a revenge thriller with a ridiculous premise that is way more entertaining than it has any right to be, but entertaining it is nonetheless.

Directed by stuntmen David Leitch and Chad Stahelski , John Wick is all about the action and it really delivers. While the setup may be a little wishy-washy not a lot of time is spent dwelling on it. There’s an understanding here that the setup was merely a means of motivation for the violence to come and boy does it come. Wick is a one man killing squad, but it’s the way they’ve established the character that makes it work so well.

We come to the understanding Wick was never a man to be messed with and one of the best in his profession. One character relays a story where he saw Wick in a bar kill three guys with a pencil. Early on we get a taste of his proficiency when we see Wick take out 12 guys that have infiltrated his home. Wick doesn’t waste time in killing them. There are no conversations with his would be assassins, and yet that isn’t the best part. The best part is when a police officer comes knocking on the door, sees a dead body in Wick’s hallway and asks, “You working again?” and leaves without so much as a warning. There are no rules in this world and the movie doesn’t necessarily flaunt that fact, but early on it makes sure you know that fact so once bullets go flying in downtown New York in broad daylight you won’t look on saying, “How is this allowed to happen?” Just go with it.

Within this world exists a fraternity of assassins and a downtown hotel that’s well aware of their profession. It’s something of a “safe” place to stay, chat and relax before heading out to do your night’s work. Here we meet fellow assassin Ms. Perkins ( Adrianne Palicki ) and top dog Winston ( Ian McShane ). We’ve already met Marcus ( Willem Dafoe ), a friend of Wick’s who’s also in the business, and it’s John Leguizamo as chop shop owner Aurelio that tips Wick off to the baddies that stole his ride and killed his pup.

Enter Viggo Tarasov ( Michael Nyqvist ), a Russian mafia top dog whose son, Iosef ( Alfie Allen whom you’ll recognize as Theon from “Game of Thrones”), and his two buddies are the fellas that stole Wick’s car. Wick used to do jobs for Viggo — blah, blah, blah — Viggo tries to protect his son and eventually the streets and clubs of New York become riddled with bullets.

Plenty of bones are broken, necks snapped, close-range headshots, long-range headshots and all of this with very little chatter. There is, however, a sense of humor about it all and only a couple of silly scenes where Reeves attempts to get emotional — the “I’m back” scene they are using in a lot of the marketing is ridiculous and a scene where Wick takes his car for a wheel-screeching joyride is pointless — but for the most part it all works within the confines of the narrative. Even if it all ends with a fist fight rather than a gunshot… why does it so rarely end with a gunshot? Why must it be a fist fight? Just shoot and get it over with!

Ignoring the fact 47 Ronin even exists, Reeves has pretty much been absent from the Hollywood scene for some time now and even John Wick was an independent production snatched up by Lionsgate. 2008’s The Day the Earth Stood Still was the last time a Reeves production was as heavily marketed as John Wick and should enough people turn out for this one I wouldn’t be surprised to see a sequel, or at the very least see Reeves start doing a lot of similar, lower budget action features a la Liam Neeson .

Reeves is still very much a wooden actor, but he has always had the ability of choosing the right roles to fit that talent and aside from a couple scenes where he’s asked to show emotion, John Wick is perfectly suited for his abilities. Wick is a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy and as a result the action keeps moving. John Wick rarely slows down, allowing for little time to focus on its flaws, making for a satisfying actioner in the process.

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John Wick (2014) Review

John Wick is exactly the bullet to the face that the American action picture desperately needed. There’s nothing remotely new to the mostly predictable narrative of this film and that’s totally fine – it’s just lean, mean, and very, very effective.

Obviously inspired by the blood ballet that is The Raid and The Raid 2 and John Woo films from the 1990s, first-time directors (and veteran stunt coordinators) Chad Stahelski and David Leitch shot their impressively staged action scenes with a stylish, confident hand, emphasizing long takes with a static camera, letting the ammo fly all over the room, and ramping up the body count to obscene, old-school-Schwarzenegger levels.

I had an absolute blast watching this totally kick-ass action film, and if it loses some overall points in the way of originality, there’s something to be said for a lower-budgeted Hollywood actioner such as this that returns the R-rated action film to some form of glory.

There’s nothing complicated about John Wick, but that’s sort of what I loved about it, as it appeals to your primal levels in an immediate, visceral, and universal way. A stoic assassin (Keanu Reeves, well cast) goes for the straight life after years of loyal and lethal service to his Russian boss because he’s finally found the woman worth retiring for.

She then gets cancer, quickly dies, and leaves him a farewell present: A beautiful puppy. After the gangster son of Wick’s ex-employer unwittingly roughs up Wick, steals his treasured car, trashes his house, and kills his dog, what’s an ex-contract killer to do than take out ALL of the trash?

And that he does – people are sliced, diced, shot repeatedly, thrown across the room and over ledges, and used as general battering rams against all sorts of sharp objects.

The Gareth Evans effect is in total display here, as Stahelski and Leitch go for broke with their wild yet coherent action scenes, letting the bad guys have it at all times, always trying to up the ante from scene to scene. And honestly – if you’re not down for seeing an animal-abusing scum bag and a slew of his henchmen get what they deserve – well, this isn’t the movie for you, and you need to check your priorities.

PETA should use this film as their calling card from here on out. I LOVED this piece of simple-minded action cinema which is as brutally relentless as it is incredible.

Review by Nick Clement

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Nick Clement

Nick Clement is a freelance writer, having contributed to Variety Magazine, Hollywood- Elsewhere, Awards Daily, Back to the Movies (of course), and Taste of Cinema.

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Common Sense Media Review

Action film is stylish, entertaining but extremely violent.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that John Wick is a brutally violent, frequently bloody thriller starring Keanu Reeves as an assassin. There's a very high body count: Characters are shot, maimed, stabbed, beaten, threatened, killed with firearms at close range, blown to bits in an explosion, strangled with bare hands,…

Why Age 17+?

Brutal: It feels like two-thirds of the film is made up of killings, and much of

Frequent language includes "f--k," "s--t," "goddamn," and more.

Several products/brands seen, including Apple, Chevrolet, Mustang, Acura, and Pe

Characters drink, usually hard liquor. Partiers at a bar swill champagne. One pe

Couples kiss. A singer in a nightclub performs in a leotard. Men and women wear

Any Positive Content?

Keanu Reeves, who is multiracial, plays a character that passes as White. Suppor

Your past may catch up with you, but that doesn't mean you have to let yourself

Despite being an assassin, John Wick is principled: He only hurts those who hurt

Violence & Scariness

Brutal: It feels like two-thirds of the film is made up of killings, and much of the violence is presented in a stylized, semi-glamorized way. Characters are shot, maimed, stabbed, beaten, threatened, killed with firearms at close range, blown to bits in an explosion, strangled with bare hands, and more. There's blood everywhere. In one of the most disturbing scenes, a man clubs a puppy to death; a trail of blood is shown leading to its carcass. In another extended scene filled with mayhem, the body count exceeds three dozen.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Several products/brands seen, including Apple, Chevrolet, Mustang, Acura, and Peligroso liquor. The film is the first of a franchise.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink, usually hard liquor. Partiers at a bar swill champagne. One person smokes marijuana. Cocaine is shown but not used on-screen.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Couples kiss. A singer in a nightclub performs in a leotard. Men and women wear bathing suits.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

Keanu Reeves , who is multiracial, plays a character that passes as White. Supporting characters include Aurelio (played by Colombian American John Leguizamo ), Charon ( Lance Reddick ), who's Black, and the Doctor (Randall Duk Kim, who's American of Chinese-Korean descent). Though they play villains, White characters are just as amoral, which helps the film avoid stereotypes. John's dead wife strongly falls into the Hollywood cliche of killing women in order to spur a male hero into action.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

Your past may catch up with you, but that doesn't mean you have to let yourself get caught up in it.

Positive Role Models

Despite being an assassin, John Wick is principled: He only hurts those who hurt others. Still, his "field" isn't exactly one that inspires admiration, at least from outsiders.

Parents need to know that John Wick is a brutally violent, frequently bloody thriller starring Keanu Reeves as an assassin. There's a very high body count: Characters are shot, maimed, stabbed, beaten, threatened, killed with firearms at close range, blown to bits in an explosion, strangled with bare hands, and more. And especially because so much of the violence is depicted in a stylized, semi-glamorized way, it's best reserved for the oldest teens and adults. Interestingly, a streak of humor also runs through it, and fight scenes choreographed so thrillingly that it's almost like watching ballet -- albeit a gunshot-riddled, rough-and-tumble one. You can also expect lots of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," and more) and a fair amount of drinking, as well as pot smoking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (48)
• Kids say (158)

Based on 48 parent reviews

Good some bad scenes

John wick gets violent and has language, but avoids gore-good for mature young teens, what's the story.

JOHN WICK ( Keanu Reeves ) is a retired assassin who was once the best in the business. But after a long illness that leads to the death of his beloved wife ( Bridget Moynihan ), he's pulled back into a world that he left long ago for love. A chance encounter with the entitled, violent son of an old associate ends up with John bloodied in his own home and the dog his wife left him as a parting gift slaughtered. For John, there's now no other recourse but revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Few films in this genre are known for their intricate, layered dialogue or depth of feeling, and this doesn't exactly break these conventions. But there's no denying the artistry that went into making John Wick . The frames are well-crafted, the pace quick and effortless, the fight scenes choreographed like a ballet. It looks fantastic. And although it's an action thriller, it has a streak of humor that confidently runs through it, making it even more entertaining. Reeves' impermeable face and economic acting work well in this context because he plays a mystery man who remains mysterious throughout. And the rest of the cast -- especially Willem Dafoe and Michael Nyqvist -- is great, too.

But there's no doubt that John Wick is deeply violent. It starts out quiet, and the first attack comes as a shock, which works well for the story. But after a while, all the fights begin to numb; though they're beautifully filmed, they lose their potency, since they come fast and furious without much room to breathe or process what's happening. And parents will want to know that the fighting is so ferocious that it borders on barbarous, making the movie best left for mature teens and adults.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why John Wick gets back in the "business." Are his reasons, in this messed-up world, at all reasonable? Is he a sympathetic character, despite his line of work? Why or why not?

John Wick is a violent movie. Does it glamorize the violence? If so, how? Does all the violence serve the story, or does it go too far?

John is strongly motivated by revenge. Is that understandable? Is revenge ever an acceptable excuse for violence?

John Wick relies on the Hollywood cliche of using a dead woman as a plot device for a man's backstory. Have you noticed this in other action films? Is this fair to women characters? What are more creative ways to include female characters in genre films?

Movie Details

• In theaters : October 24, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2015
• Cast : Keanu Reeves , Adrianne Palicki , Bridget Moynahan , Michael Nyqvist
• Director : David Leitch
• Inclusion Information : Asian actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors, Female actors
• Studio : Summit Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 101 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use
• Last updated : August 20, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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How To Watch All The ‘John Wick’ Movies In Chronological Order

The John Wick movies are the perfect reminder that hurting animals for fun is the quickest and most painful way to meet the world’s deadliest dog lover.

John Wick, immortalised by Keanu Reeves on screen, is one of the most formidable characters in cinema. Call him Baba Yaga or the Boogeyman, his name alone sends chill down the spines of even the most dangerous assassins in the world. His killer hands move faster than bullets in close combat.

The John Wick franchise started in 2014 and successfully blended the old-school cool of ’80s action heroes with a touch of modern thrill in cinema. As the franchise grew, Wick’s thirst for vengeance went beyond avenging his dog’s death. It morphed into exploring the themes of loyalty and betrayal as he takes on the entire world single-handedly.

There are four movies to watch in a particular order if you want to initiate yourself into the John Wick fandom. Although fans wish to witness Reeves in action for the fifth time, the release date of a potential final instalment is still uncertain. However, Lionsgate’s motion picture group chair Joe Drake confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2023 that the film is in early development.

As we eagerly wait for John Wick 5: Final Chapter , check out all the John Wick movies in order of their release to catch up with the world of the most dangerous hitman.

Here are all the ‘John Wick’ movies in order

1. john wick (2014).

IMDb rating: 7.4 Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan and more. Director: Chad Stahelski

“John Wick isn’t the Boogeyman… He’s the guy you send to kill the f*cking Boogeyman.”

In 2014, John Wick started the global phenomenon of “choosing the red pill”. The plot centres around John Wick (Keanu Reeves), a retired hitman, peacefully living his life alone after the death of his wife. Unaware of his real identity, Russian mobsters decide to kill his dog after an unpleasant encounter with him. Big mistake!

What follows is a relentless saga of revenge stained with blood. Wick paints every street and wall with the blood of his dog’s murderers. In his quest for revenge, he dives back into the shadowy underworld.

Although John Wick was a sleeper hit with a USD 86 million box office collection worldwide, the film earned praise for its immaculate choreography of action sequences and Reeves’ well-written stoic yet emotionally complex character.

Another appeal of the 2014 film was that it was more than just a well-executed action movie. The film not only revived Reeves’ career in Hollywood but also started an entire cinematic universe filled with unwritten rules, blood oaths and more aspects that every action-genre lover finds fascinating.

John Wick successfully expanded its universe by inspiring sequels, spin-offs , and comics. The movie redefined action in Hollywood.

John Wick trivia:

Director Stahelski’s journey in Hollywood is exceptional. He was Keanu Reeves’ stunt double in The Matrix movies.

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2. john wick: chapter 2 (2017).

Welcome back, Mr. Wick. Watch the first official clip #JohnWick2 – In theaters February 10! pic.twitter.com/1kBw0LF0mt — John Wick: Chapter 4 (@JohnWickMovie) January 18, 2017

IMDb rating: 7.4 Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Cast: Keanu Reeves, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio and more Director: Chad Stahelski

“Never stab the devil in the back”

Picking up shortly after the events of the first film, Wick faces the consequences of his gory actions by diving deeper into the underworld. He locks horns with Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), who later betrays him by sending every assassin after him. You can imagine the trail of blood Wick left behind as he tries to survive every other second.

As expected, the second instalment in the John Wick franchise doubled down on the action, continuing the bloody saga of the hitman. The film pushed the boundaries of its universe with its explosive action sequences and intricate world-building. It also introduced the shady council called the High Table.

John Wick: Chapter 2 earned over USD 174 million against a budget of USD 40 million. The massive commercial success of the second film solidified the franchise in the Hall Of Fame of cinematic universes.

The second movie in the franchise perfectly sets up future conflicts by declaring Keanu Reeves ‘ hitman an “excommunicado”. It was a clear signal to the world that John Wick won’t die anytime soon.

John Wick: Chapter 2 trivia:

Reeves performed 95% of the stunts in the film. One of the few stunts he did not perform included the one where he got hit by a car.

3. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)

IMDb rating: 7.4 Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Cast: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos and more Director: Chad Stahelski

“It’s the world Vs. Wick”

After being declared an “excommunicado”, John Wick navigates a way to survive a bounty of USD 14 million on his head. He seeks help from old friends from his past like Director (Anjelica Huston) and Sofia (Halle Berry).

The audience did not have enough of John Wick and the exceptional success of the third instalment is proof enough. Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves did not disappoint by taking the franchise to new heights.

One of the biggest highlights of the film is the ultimate showdown at the New York Continental between Wick and Winston (Ian McShane). Made on a budget of USD 75 million, the movie raked in over USD 327 million worldwide. The film’s attempt at expanding its lore gave us some of the best action sequences like the unforgettable horse chase through New York.

John Wick: Chapter 3 trivia:

At around 1 hour 22 minutes, when Wick is reunited with his dog, a smidge of peanut butter or some other substance can be seen on Reeves’ face to get the dog to lick him more.

4. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by John Wick: Chapter 4 (@johnwickmovie)

IMDb rating: 7.7 Rotten Tomatoes: 94% Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne and more Director: Chad Stahelski

“No way back. One way out.”

The chronological order of the John Wick movies ends with this film being released in 2023. Needless to say, the makers ramped up the creative action to dizzying levels.

The fourth instalment took the franchise to a globe-trotting scale with an epic showdown between Wick and the High Table. The intense and mind-bending battles in the film explore the high-stakes game of chess with blood and bullets. Wick’s quest for freedom makes him determined to destroy the High Table once and for all.

With a massive budget of USD 100 million, John Wick 4 grossed over USD 425 million worldwide. The film upped the ante in terms of visually appealing action choreography, and emotional depth. The most fascinating part of the fourth instalment was the ending that hinted at both closure and the possibility of more sequels in the future.

All the movies over the years, regardless of their order, prove that John Wick is one of the most iconic action anti-heroes in cinema.

John Wick: Chapter 4 trivia:

Being the generous guy that he is, Reeves gifted his five-person stunt team Rolex Submariner watches, each costing around USD 10,000.

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Where do the ‘john wick’ spin-offs fit into the timeline, 1. the continental: from the world of john wick (2023).

IMDb rating: 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes: 63% Cast: Mel Gibson, Colin Woodell, Mishel Prada and Ben Robson. Director: Albert Hughes and Charlotte Brändström

The neo-noir crime-action drama television miniseries is a prequel series set in the 1970s. It centres around the origins of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell). It follows his quest to take over the hotel from the hands of his ruthless manager Cormac O’Connor (Mel Gibson).

To jog your memory, Scott eventually becomes the manager of The Continental Hotel seen in the John Wick movies. The events in the series take place four decades before the events of the first John Wick film.

Apart from Winston’s climb to power, fans also explore the backstory of The Continental Hotel and all the rules of the underworld that eventually play a huge role in all the John Wick films.

Although The Continental was praised for its stylised action sequences and its efforts to dive deeper into the John Wick universe, it received mixed reception due to its pacing and underwhelming performances.

2. Ballerina (2025)

Cast: Ana De Armas, Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane and Anjelica Huston Director: Len Wiseman Release date: 6 June 2025

Ballerina starring Ana De Armas is an upcoming spinoff of the massively successful Keanu Reeves-starrer John Wick franchise. As the title suggests, Armas will step into the shoes of a graceful ballerina-assassin named Rooney. She was first introduced in Parabellum  and was portrayed by Unity Phelan.

The film takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). The trailer of the movie was released in April 2024 at the CinemaCon. It is yet to be released officially to the world.

The impressive trailer showed Armas engaging in ruthless hand-to-hand combat and torching a truck with a flamethrower in her quest to avenge her family’s death. Reeves will also be in the film along with some familiar faces from the previous instalments.

Ballerina will be released in 2025.

(Header and feature image courtesy: John Wick: Chapter 4/ IMDb )

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There are a total of four John Wick movies in the franchise — John Wick (2014), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).

You should start the franchise by watching John Wick released in 2014.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the latest film in the franchise. It was released in 2023.

Princia Hendriques

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