The Most Underrated John Wick Movie Is Now Streaming on Max

It is unlikely that directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, along with writer Derek Kolstad and the iconic Keanu Reeves, realized they were inaugurating a definitive pillar of 21st-century action cinema when they released John Wick in 2014. In the twelve years since that debut, the property has blossomed into a multimedia powerhouse, encompassing three ambitious sequels, graphic novels, indie titles, and an anticipated AAA video game. The cinematic universe further widened with the 2025 spinoff Ballerina, a frequently overlooked entry that proves far more compelling than its mediocre Metacritic reception or underwhelming box office performance might suggest.

Interestingly, Ballerina did not begin as a Wick-related project. Screenwriter Shay Hatten was originally moved by the stylistic flair of the John Wick: Chapter 2 trailer to pen an independent assassin narrative. After Lionsgate acquired the script, Hatten was brought in to collaborate on the main franchise sequels while simultaneously retooling his original Ballerina concept to fit the intricate lore of the Continental. Despite a notoriously difficult production cycle, the finished film stands as one of the most visceral action experiences in recent memory.

Featuring Ana de Armas as the burgeoning operative Eve Macarro, Ballerina mirrors the thematic purity of the original John Wick: a protagonist driven by an unyielding need for retribution. Following the traumatic murder of her father, Macarro is taken under the wing of The Director (Anjelica Huston), a character introduced in John Wick 3: Parabellum. Trained in the dual arts of dance and death, Macarro eventually breaks away to hunt those responsible across Europe, leading to a relentless series of high-stakes confrontations.

Eve’s inaugural action sequence serves as a brilliant introduction to her adult self. Set in a nightclub—a staple of the franchise—she is tasked with protection rather than assassination, armed only with rubber bullets. When the situation escalates, she pivotally transitions to brutal melee combat, utilizing improvised weapons like hammers and metal piping. This scene immediately establishes her as a visceral and uncompromising force.

What distinguishes Macarro from the preternaturally skilled Wick is her learning curve. While John is a seasoned myth, Eve is a combatant still honing her survival instincts. Throughout the film, she weaponizes her environment with desperate creativity—shattering dinner plates over enemies’ heads or using ice skates as makeshift blades. In one particularly frantic sequence, stripped of firearms, she is forced to dismantle an entire squad using nothing but hand grenades.

Through sheer grit, Eve transforms into a terrifyingly effective killer. However, the film hits a narrative snag when Keanu Reeves makes his inevitable appearance. While his inclusion was likely a commercial necessity, it feels thematically intrusive. This was Eve’s story; she earned the right to conclude her mission solo. Furthermore, the ease with which Wick handles her in a brief skirmish feels inconsistent with a franchise where even low-level goons can occasionally give the “Boogeyman” a run for his money, slightly diminishing Eve’s hard-won lethality.

Despite these minor gripes, Ballerina is a thrilling addition to the series. It maintains a breakneck pace and offers personal stakes that have been somewhat missing since the original film. It demonstrates that the Wick-verse has legs beyond its central figure—a concept further explored in the upcoming spinoff featuring Caine and Akira.

Director Len Wiseman has expressed interest in exploring Eve’s future, hinting to Entertainment Weekly that in this world, death is rarely the end. However, a direct sequel remains unlikely. Lionsgate has stayed silent on a follow-up, likely due to the film’s modest $137 million return against a $90 million budget—failing to meet the traditional “double the budget” benchmark for profitability.

It’s also uncertain if Macarro will feature in John Wick 5, as director Stahelski plans to deviate from the High Table narrative in the next chapter. Regardless of whether we see Eve Macarro again, Ballerina remains an essential watch for action aficionados, boasting inventive choreography and a story with genuine heart. It holds its own alongside the greatest chapters of the Wick saga.

Ballerina is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.

Source: Polygon