Short Review of a Film –
Ballerina: Exploring the Latest Addition
to the John Wick Universe

Bloody, gorgeous, thrilling and with creatively brutal action sequences, the film’s fantastic second half pays off, resulting in Ballerina becoming a welcome addition to the John Wick franchise.

John Wick Universe

Back in 2014, Keanu Reeves graced the screen as a legendary hitman who comes out of retirement after the death of his dog and the theft of his car, leading to an action-packed thriller with beautifully choreographed action sequences and set pieces, long single takes, and a stoic performance that oozed physical charisma and depth with even black expressions from the perfectly casted Reeves.

It was a massive success at release, with both critics and audiences giving it high praise, and it was considered one of the greatest action films of all time. The story of John Wick continued not with one sequel but with three sequels released over nine years. With various spin-offs expanding the John Wick universe, including a prequel comic book, a prequel miniseries, and now, in 2025, the first spin-off film with Balerina, the franchise shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Ballerina

As the fifth instalment in the John Wick series, Ballerina serves as a sidequel to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and is set before the events of Chapter 4. It stars Ana de Armas in the lead role of Eve Macarro, a ballerina and assassin, alongside an ensemble cast that includes Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ian McShane, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, the late Lance Reddick in his final appearance, and the franchise’s lead actor Keanu Reeves.

Summary of the Film

Eve Macarro, trained in the formidable assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma, embarks on a dangerous quest for vengeance. Driven by grief and fury, she must confront a ruthless army of killers if she is determined to bring justice to those responsible for her father’s untimely death. As she navigates her environment, her deadly skills and resolve are put to the ultimate test in her relentless pursuit of retribution.

Spoilers Ahead

For the remainder of this article, I will provide a detailed breakdown of the film, organised into sections that reflect various aspects of my viewing experience. I will be covering the film’s plot, characters, cinematography, action scenes, etc., by sharing my thoughts, insights, and opinions, so I want to give a heads-up to readers who prefer to stay away from spoilers—if that’s you, I recommend proceeding with caution, as there will be discussion points that reveal key plot points and twists.

The Prologue

The opening scene begins with a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s famous music from Swan Lake, and fitting for the universe the film is set in, the prologue wastes no time and jumps straight into the action. Javier, played by David Castañeda from The Umbrella Academy, and his daughter, Eve, are on the run from an unknown enemy.

After an intense opening fight, we’re introduced to the main antagonist, nicknamed the Chancellor and leader of the Cult, played by none other than the Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, who has played his fair share of villain roles from the cunning mobster Tom in the film Miller’s Crossing, to literally Satan in the film End of Days. Leaning into familiar territory, Gabriel portrays the Chancellor as a man who provides choices for redemption, but ultimately, a man you won’t survive if you ever cross him.

Familiar Faces

We see the return of Ian McShane’s character, Winston, the owner of the New York Continental Hotel and an old friend of John Wick, who brings Eve to the Director of the Ruska Roma (Anjelica Huston). It perfectly set up Eve’s backstory and her connection to established characters within the franchise while also introducing new characters like Nogi, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, who would become Eve’s mentor and teach her to become a valuable asset to their organisation.

The Ruska Roma

Over the next 12 years, Eve undergoes vicarious training, ranging from ballet to fighting sessions and shooting ranges. The training sequences were quite entertaining, but I loved the advice from her mentor, who told her to start thinking like a girl. Seeing Eve begin to use her surroundings and her wits and exploit her enemies’ weaknesses against them, even to the point of cheating to get the upper hand, was sick. And she really showed her capability and determination with that insane final test.

John Wick and Her First Contract

The interaction between Eve and John Wick was fantastic; it’s great to see Keanu Reeves reprising his role once again. As for Eve’s first contract, that was intense; we see the return of familiar settings, such as a nightclub, but instead of John in a suit, we have Eve in a red sequin dress and high heels. It’s not a bad place to be for your first assignment.

Anyway, the scene escalates to an intense fight between Eve and Katla’s attempted kidnappers, with Eve using her rubber bullets; yes, you heard me, rubber bullets to defend herself, but she stands her ground, and once it came down to a standoff with the main guy boy did she make quick use of her environment. Exhilarating!

A Seasoned Pro and Clue to Her Past

Seeing the pure destruction Eve left in her wake, especially the humour in her retrieving the knives from the bloody and scattered bodies, to that insane shot of her getting in her car and driving away, to suddenly being rammed, was fantastic. The shot of her vehicle getting dragged to the foreground was insane. I loved the use of the camera work throughout that scene.

The connection to her father’s killer, leading Eve in the direction of the Continental Hotel, was a cool take. The return of Charon, the concierge played by the late Lance Reddick in his final appearance, was bittersweet. It’s hard to believe he has been gone for over two years already.

The introduction of new characters, Daniel Pine, played by Norman Reedus, and his daughter, Ella, was a surprising reveal. I liked how Daniel rigged the door to the room. And the shootout and fight that followed between Eve and Daniel versus the assassins was great—extra points for beating the assassin with the remote as the channels changed in the background.

Arms Dealer and Hallstatt

The first half of the film does a great job of establishing Eve’s story and motivation for revenge, with some impressive fighting choreography along the way. However, it is the second half of the film that truly shines, settling into the world of John Wick and showcasing its full potential. From the chaotic arms dealer shop fight and how Eve dispatched those opponents with grenades, it was brutal—I loved it!

However, my favourite overall moment or moments, in this case, was Eve’s arrival in the beautifully snowy town of Hallstatt, Austria, right up to the end of the film. Just pure chaos, insanity, bloody, violent, and fantastic fighting choreography and action-packed sequences all the way to the end of the film. It was just one scene after the next, from her realisation that all the townsfolk were assassins and part of the Cult to the shocking twist that the assassin Lena,(Catalina Sandino Moreno) who had been following her trail throughout the film, was actually her sister!

Despite the tragic reunion and the disappointing quick end to her sister, it didn’t take away from the fast-paced sequences of events unfolding as Eve continues her search for the Chancellor while avoiding the countless assassins on her tail.

John Wick and The Chancellor

When you think, ‘How can things become worse for Eve?’ the Chancellor threatens the director with impending war between them if she doesn’t call off Eve’s attack. John Wick, of all people, is sent in to handle the situation and put an end to it. Thank God, John sympathises with Eve’s plight and spares her for one hour to take care of The Chancellor and end things herself before he has to intervene. A potential team-up between John and Eve in the future? Now that a fifth film is somehow in the works with Keanu Reeves returning. I’d be down for that, especially with the great chemistry they had with the little screen time together.

The final showdown, with its explosions, flamethrowers, slow-motion, and John Wick in action again, supporting Eve from the sidelines, was just perfect. The finale had everything you would want in an action film: pure exhilaration, engaging shootouts, and stunning fight scenes. The final moment against the Chancellor wasn’t as intense, and it ended abruptly. Still, I understood that the Chancellor wasn’t much of a fighter but more of an intimidating presence from the sheer power and men at his disposal. It was great to see Eve finally get her revenge against the man responsible for the death of her father.

Exiled and A Bounty on Her Head

It was heartfelt seeing Ella reunited with her father, and Eve not only getting a sense of closure from her father’s death but also preventing the cult and the chancellor from tearing apart another father-daughter relationship. I was surprised by how little Norma Reedus’s character played in the story, but hopefully, we will see more of his character in future instalments. The film does end with the possibility of more to come. We now see Eve exiled from the Ruska Roma and on the run, with a bounty placed on her head after the chancellor’s death, hinting at the continuation of her story.

Conclusion to This Short Review of A Film

The film was a fantastic origin story for Eve’s tale, and Ana de Armas did a superb job. She always delivers. The action was fantastic and beautifully shot, featuring bloody, intense, chaotic, and stunning hand-to-hand fight choreography sequences alongside a powerhouse ensemble cast, phenomenal cinematography, and an impressive sound design.

The highlight was definitely the second half of the film, which was pure, action-packed, adrenaline-fueled consecutive scenes, showcasing the film’s full potential as a worthy addition to the John Wick franchise and wrapping up perfectly for potential sequels to follow.

My verdict, I would give it a 8.5 out of 10 film score.

Additionally, if you’re interested in reading more film reviews or other film topics like recommendations, detail and discussions, etc., I invite you to explore my dedicated film page for everything film-related.

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