Ballerina (2025)

​“Ballerina” stars Ana de Armes, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.  Released on June 6, 2025, the film has an assassin hunting down the people who murdered her father.

The film is directed by Len Wiseman, who also directed “Underworld”, “Underworld: Evolution”, “Live Free or Die Hard”, and the 2012 remake of “Total Recall”.  It is a spin-off of the John Wick franchise.  The world of “John Wick” is full of dangerous criminals and assassins who know no bounds in delivering their brand of justice.  One of which is the legendary “Baba Yaga”, who went through hell and back to avenge his puppy and escape from the High Table in the span of four chapters.  The other resides in the realm of assassins whose skills are more deadly than their graceful dances: the Ruska Roma.  First introduced in “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum”, the Ruska Roma, led by the Director, consists of seemingly normal ballerinas who have trained in the assassin tradition, so you might not want to give them low scores for their dances for your sake.  With the announcement of “Chapter 5”, there’s no telling how the fate of John Wick will be after the ending of “Chapter 4”.  But until we know the answer, we have the critically acclaimed franchise’s first cinematic spin-off to tide us over, which further explores the Ruska Roma and one of its members who is hellbent on revenge.  So, you can say that John Wick isn’t the only killer willing to go above the limits to seek justice.  But is this revenge journey worth visiting outside of Wick’s adventure?  Let’s find out.

The story takes place between “Chapter 3 - Parabellum” and “Chapter 4” and centers on Eve Macarro (Armas), a young woman who recently lost her father at the hands of a mysterious cult.  Under the protection of the New York Continental Hotel, Eve is raised by the Ruska Roma, a crime syndicate led by the Director (Huston), comprising ballerinas trained to be deadly assassins.  After discovering clues about her father’s death, Eve sets out on a blood-soaked journey across the criminal underworld to find the cult responsible.  This puts her at a crossroads against the cult’s leader, the Chancellor (Byrne), and even the other killers sent to end her reign of violence, including the “Baba Yaga” himself, John Wick (Reeves). 

The “John Wick” movies are some of the most effective and stylishly neon-esque action thrillers I’ve seen in a while.  I’ll never forget the moment when I first saw “John Wick: Chapter 2” in the theater, which drew me further into the world it expanded upon.  While the eyes are still on John Wick’s quest to escape the High Table, the elements introduced in the franchise’s world-building show potential for further exploration, particularly the Ruska Roma.  I honestly didn’t think we needed an entire movie about this particular assassin group, but I was immediately won over by its trailers and the movie's retention of the violent and stylishly compelling aesthetics of the main installments.  Unfortunately, franchise director Chad Stahelski didn’t return to helm the spin-off, entrusting this responsibility to “Underworld” director Len Wiseman and serving as one of the movie’s producers.  However, it benefited from the involvement of Ana de Armas, who has proven her capabilities as a formidable action star through her roles in “No Time to Die” and “The Gray Man”.  Even so, it still had the task of justifying the expansion of this “Continental Cinematic Universe,” and I’m not just talking about the violent yet mildly ridiculous stunts.

“John Wick” was successful due to its world-building and well-choreographed violence.  But, these elements were all tied together with a refreshingly compelling take on its traditional revenge thriller plot, with the follow-ups focusing on John’s tension-filled quest for tranquility.  Instead of a murdered loved one being a typical person, the film took a daring approach of killing off a harmless puppy given to the protagonist as a final gift from his late wife.  If anything were to happen to my own dog, I would probably go apeshit on the people who killed it as well.  It’s undoubtedly heartbreaking, especially for dog lovers, but it also adds to the emotional core of John’s connection to his wife.  Thankfully, “Ballerina” doesn’t have any dogs to kill off, so the canine owners can breathe a sigh of relief.  However, it also resorts to utilizing the usual revenge thriller clichés we’re familiar with as Eve pursues the murderer who killed her father.  

After the expansive, rip-roaring adventures we experienced in the “John Wick” sequels, “Ballerina” returned to the contained basics of its storytelling, as seen in the first film.  This is another basic, revenge-driven, and restrained thriller that doesn’t let up on its violence from the first minute to the final curtain call.  This is obviously in the same veins as the main installments, which makes sense considering Shay Hatten, the writer of the previous two “John Wick” installments, returned to write “Ballerina”.  Given credit where it’s due, Hatten has done pretty well in weaving “Ballerina” into “Chapter 3” while keeping its own story separate despite its formulaic elements standing in the way.  But, the real challenge lies in making the audience see another assassin worth following in the form of Eve Macarro.  The movie maintained the franchise’s core themes of revenge and the repercussions of one’s actions as Eve goes rogue to pursue the mysterious cult tied to her past.  This journey leads her to a path of self-discovery, pushing her to contemplate the future she desires.  While her quest may not pack a punch in its emotional heft, I can admit that Eve is an interesting character whose inexperienced yet dangerous skills are as compelling and vulnerable as her personality and arc.       

Even with that case in mind, “Ballerina” couldn’t help but tread familiar ground in its narrative path.  This familiarity stemmed from its reliance on specific elements that were originally executed on a grander scale in the series’s main installments.  So, it’s unsurprising that the movie faced a tough battle in living up to the high expectations set by the “John Wick” sequels.  However, that doesn’t mean this spin-off is devoid of the white-knuckled, gun-toting excitement found in the assassin-filled realm.  It may lack the compelling emotional depth that characterized the first “John Wick” movie, but it compensated with the spin-off’s influential style, neon-esque grace, and, best of all, straightforward adult entertainment.  It’s a relentless, violent, and neon-infused thrill ride that captivates with its noir-coated aesthetics and authentic action sequences that give life to the film series. 

Len Wiseman had many expectations to fulfill regarding his direction of the spin-off.  He had to maintain the modern noir aura and authentic thrills Chad Stahelski provided for the previous installments while also balancing them with his own signature vision.  However, Wiseman has some of his own advantages that could help him accomplish this daunting task.  The first two “Underworld” movies demonstrated that he could make darkly lit and gothic-like scenes look stylishly convincing, and “Live Free or Die Hard” proved his worth in showcasing specific action scenes that were both entertaining and brutally rewarding.  After experiencing this film, I can confidently say that Wiseman’s directorial elements align nicely with the franchise’s influential appeal.  Len Wiseman’s direction may not match what Stahelski delivered, but he did manage to maintain his footing in honoring the violent world-building and consistent thrills, especially with its action choreography.

The stunt choreography may have taken a step down from the absurd yet grounded sequences in the “John Wick” sequels.  However, it’s still meticulously organized, with each move and kill executed with precision and flair, creating a ballet of combat that’s as mesmerizing as it is authentic and intense.  Regarding the action scenes I enjoyed the most, the ones that stuck with me were the flamethrower battle and Eve’s confrontation with John Wick, particularly in terms of the direction for its choreography and Jason Ballantine’s editing.  I was a bit concerned about how the movie would be edited compared to the previous installments, but those concerns dissipated when I saw how it maintains the movie’s focus on the violence at all times without resorting to quick-cut maneuvers and shaky camera work.  Those scenes only appeared in the movie’s third act, but the sequences before them were entertaining enough to keep me waiting until then.  The vibrantly noir color palettes and bleakly atmospheric lighting still persevere in Romain Lacourbas’s cinematography, matching the franchise’s influential style like works of art displayed in a museum.  With these elements, along with Stahelski’s assistance during the reshoots, Len Wiseman pays homage to its predecessors’s lore while infusing his own niche into its presentation.

Much of the cast returned from the previous installments to reprise their roles, but the main focus is on the new blood fighting their way through the criminal underworld.  As mentioned earlier, Ana de Armas has proven herself to be a promising star in the action genre, particularly in her roles in "No Time to Die" and “The Gray Man”.  “Ballerina” marked the true test of whether Armas could utilize her talents, both in acting and stunt work, in a leading role.  The result is another rewarding example of her skills as an action star.  Her stunt work was exceptional to witness, and her performance successfully conveyed the determined and resilient nature of Eve's quest for justice through acts of retribution and vulnerability.  Whether starring in high-octane thrillers or subdued dramas, Armas knows how to entertain her audience with her nuance and commitment to her roles.  Gabriel Byrne assumes the role of the franchise’s new baddie, The Chancellor, and while his performance was decent at best, I wouldn’t call this guy a formidable threat compared to the people John faced in other installments regarding his arc.  Speaking of which, I would also mention that Keanu Reeves is still a force to be reckoned with regarding his performance as John Wick.  What makes it better is that the film doesn’t treat Reeves’s character as a one-and-done cameo, giving him enough time to delight many fans of the Baba Yaga with his own set of skills.  It’s also nice to see Lance Reddick one last time regarding his role as Charon.  His screen time may be limited, but it serves as another poignant reminder of Reddick’s talents and the impact he left on audiences before his untimely passing, especially the franchise’s fans.        

Overall, “Ballerina” is a stylish and consistently engaging spin-off that gracefully dances through its path of revenge with a blend of elegance, bloodshed, and bullets.  By retaining the key elements that define the action-packed film series, the film left a mark that earns its place within the criminal underworld introduced in the first “John Wick” adventure, even if it appears more restrained than the previous installments.  Shay Hatten’s screenplay had multiple fumbles in its emotional core and genre formula that could’ve disrupted the entire dance routine entirely.  Fortunately, it managed to compensate for its shortcomings by delivering another worthy addition to the “John Wick” universe thanks to Ana de Armas’s compelling performance, Len Wiseman’s direction, captivating thrills, and well-choreographed action scenes.  If you enjoy the “John Wick” films for what they are, I can guarantee that you’ll have a decent time with the spin-off, which will tide us over until John Wick’s next cinematic adventure.

B-