Ballerina (United States, 2025)

Apparently, Shay Hattan’s original screenplay for Ballerina was considerably different from the final version – a stand-alone action/revenge film with no John Wick connections. One could argue that the movie might have been better that way because the appearance of various characters, locations, and tropes from the Keanu Reeves series (including Reeves himself) creates expectations the film can’t fulfill. At its heart, Ballerina (which is being released with the awkward – but marketing-friendly – full title of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina) is a standard-order revenge thriller – an okay action film with a lugubrious first half that perks up considerably past the one-hour mark. 

Rumor has it that the Ballerina being released into theaters bares only a passing resemblance to the one director Len Wiseman turned in during the second half of 2023. Leaks indicate that John Wick producer/director Chad Stahelski, after watching Wiseman’s “disastrous” cut, took over the project and “ghost directed” a new version that required months of re-shoots focusing on more elaborate action scenes, a new climax, and a lot more John Wick. Tonal inconsistencies throughout are testimony to the out-of-synch influences of the two directors. And, although John Wick doesn’t entirely hijack the film, his presence (both off-screen and on) looms large over everything, disallowing Ana de Armas’ character, Eve Macarro, to stand on her own. 

While there’s plenty of action, only a few scenes are standouts and the dour tone, especially in the early-going, undercuts some of the fun of watching de Armas kick ass. The narrative doesn’t make a lot of sense but it does the job of providing a clothesline for the action scenes. The narrative opens with Eve as a child (Victoria Comte) watching her father being murdered under the orders of the malevolent Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). A dozen years later, after a lengthy period of brutal training, she becomes an assassin working for The Director (Anjelica Huston). When Eve confesses her desire to avenge her father’s death, she is told in no uncertain terms that attacks on The Chancellor and his “cult” are forbidden due to a underworld pact. That doesn’t dissuade Eve, who goes rogue and begins her own investigation into the whereabouts of the man she intends to kill. 

Back when John Wick 3 was being filmed, pre-production was underway for Ballerina so Stahelski shot a scene to introduce that character of Eve (played by Unity Phelan prior to de Armas’ casting). This is revisited in Ballerina and features some of Reeves’ most wooden acting in years. He’s not alone in that department – Anjelica Huston’s reprisal of The Director is a Razzie-level performance. As for de Armas, she has the requisite physicality for the action scenes but lacks the innate charisma that Reeves brought to the role of John Wick. Eve is more of a force of nature than a well-developed individual – but that kind of thing can happen when a small army of uncredited screenwriters is involved. 

The thing I missed the most about Ballerina was the high energy, borderline-outrageousness of the action that characterized the four formal John Wick movies (the first two more than the others). I once described the core elements as “stylized action sequences [with] minimal ‘down time’ and a dry sense of wit.” But the relentless momentum isn’t there and too often the movie slides into a generic groove. It’s hard to say how much blame Wiseman deserves for this but he hasn’t made a movie of note since splitting with his ex-wife/former muse, Kate Beckinsale.  

According to the press releases, Ballerina transpires between John Wick 3 and John Wick 4, although it’s hard to reconcile the events of this film’s third act with the established John Wick chronology. The concept of expanding the John Wick “world” by adding a worthy female counterpoint isn’t an inherently bad idea. The flaw is in the execution. For a better example of a female-centric John Wick type of movie, I’d suggest Atomic Blonde. It has the same flavor as the John Wick movies without the issues that plague this one (no surprise since it was directed by John Wick’s co-director, David Leitch).

Ballerina (United States, 2025)