John Wick: Ballerina is here—and it doesn’t waste time dancing around the point. Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, this spin-off brings a new lead to the blood-soaked universe. Ana de Armas plays Eve, a ballerina turned assassin, trained under the shadowy Ruska Roma. Her mission? Revenge. And she’s not asking for permission.
The movie kicks off with cold facts and fast violence. Eve watches her father get murdered by a secretive cult known only as “The Cult.” Years later, she’s a killing machine, ready to track down the man who ordered it—The Chancellor. But the Ruska Roma, her adoptive assassin family, have a truce with the Cult. They tell her to stay out. Of course, she doesn’t.
When you think of me, you should think of fire.
From the World of John Wick: #BallerinaMovie — Early access on June 4 & theaters everywhere on June 6. Tickets are available now: https://t.co/6zXcqbU3CE pic.twitter.com/eHQpzJWwcE
— John Wick (@JohnWickMovie) May 13, 2025
If you’re here for stylish violence, sleek visuals, and a stoic lead, you’re in luck. John Wick: Ballerina keeps the franchise DNA intact. But it adds a twist: a woman’s perspective, and more emotional weight. It’s still brutal, still cool, but with a touch more heart.
The first half of the film moves slow, with flashbacks and some uneven pacing. But then—boom—the second half kicks in like a roundhouse.
Set in a haunting Austrian town called Hallstatt, the film explodes into full Wick-mode with flamethrowers, kitchen knife fights, and that signature brutal choreography. Director Len Wiseman brings a different style from Chad Stahelski, but it still fits the franchise. Think Underworld meets Wick.
Ana de Armas owns the screen. She blends grace and grit, delivering one of her most physical performances to date. Keanu Reeves makes a cool cameo—not overstaying, but just enough to earn applause. Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston, and the late Lance Reddick round out the cast with familiar weight.
But it’s not perfect. Some side characters—like Norman Reedus’s Daniel Pine—are underdeveloped. Certain scenes feel abrupt, especially one where Eve kills several men in a bathroom with no warning. Cool, yes. Coherent? Not really.
Still, the John Wick: Ballerina gamble mostly pays off. It builds on the existing world without repeating it entirely. And Ana? She’s not just dancing—she’s carrying the Wick torch forward.
