‘Ballerina’ Blows the Doors Off the ‘John Wick’ Universe

What started as a tight, neo-noir revenge flick in 2014 about a grieving hitman avenging his dog and his car has evolved into a universe filled with bulletproof suits, ancient assassin tribes, gold-coin economies, and ballet schools that double as murder academies. It’s a world where logic sometimes takes a backseat and where the fight scenes are choreographed like modern dance. 

So it’s kind of wild that Ballerina, a spin-off set squarely in the John Wick world, ends up being the most grounded, character-driven entry in the entire franchise, and it might be the most satisfying too.

Set prior to and throughout the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina plants its feet firmly in the neon-drenched, bullet-laden Wickverse and delivers something surprisingly fresh—a new hero with a story that feels even more personal than what drove John Wick back into the High Table’s underworld. 

From a production standpoint, Ballerina had the kind of behind-the-scenes troubles that can doom a film. For a movie that went through production delays and reshoots, it’s a minor miracle that Ballerina not only holds seamlessly together but also kicks some serious ass. 

More importantly, it never feels like an imitation of the John Wick films. It aims to build something new, with a protagonist who doesn’t just belong in this world—she’s ready to take it over. 

Blood, Sweat, Tears, and Ballet

Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin trained by the Ruska Roma—the same shadowy ballet/assassin syndicate that once moulded John Wick. Where Wick just wanted out of the assassin game, Eve wants in. Eve grows up in the brutal tutelage of the Director (a pitch-perfect Anjelica Huston), who helps Eve channel her pain into a particular set of skills. What makes the character compelling, though, is how raw she is. 

She doesn’t share Wick’s weary stoicism or legendary status (not yet, at least). Rather, she’s angry, volatile, constantly outnumbered, and fights like someone who knows she won’t get a second chance—and that makes her dangerous. 

The premise could have easily been a Wick-lite cash grab but turns out to be far from it. Directed by Underworld and Live Free or Die Hard vet Len Wiseman—who got a little help from Chad Stahelski during reshoots—it’s an organic expansion of the larger Wick world. 

Ballerina earns its place with explosive, hyper-stylised fights, surprising emotional beats, and a lead that proves she’s not just here to fill Keanu’s shoes. Ana de Armas may have earned her stripes as a Bond girl in 2021’s No Time to Die, but she’s become a full-blown action star in her own right. 

She carries the whole film—emotionally and physically. Her Eve is scrappy and strategic, outsmarting her enemies and overpowering them by taking the mantra “fight like a girl” to heart. Whether she’s pirouetting, turning kitchen utensils into deadly weapons, or rocking ice skates on her hands like brass knuckles, de Armas moves with a kind of raw, earned confidence accumulated from her extensive training with 87Eleven (the same stunt team behind the Wick films). It’s supported by the narrative structure, which for the first time shows a Wickverse assassin in the making. She sells every punch with conviction, but more importantly, she gives Eve some soul. 

The returning Wick-verse faces are solid too. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick glide right back into their roles at The Continental Hotel, offering guidance and gravitas: especially poignant given that Ballerina marks Reddick’s final performance following his unexpected passing in 2023. New faces such as Gabriel Byrne (as the grandfatherly kingpin of an assassin cult) add fantastic flavour without stealing the spotlight.

Not Just a Spin-Off

The most surprising aspect of the film, though, is that it’s got heart and humour to spare. 

Where Wick is a stoic everyman, Eve is chasing answers. There’s a clear goal behind every bullet she fires. And the emotional weight doesn’t bog things down; it actually gives the carnage some purpose. In a franchise that likes to lean into style-over-substance, Ballerina actually delivers a reason to care thanks to a script by Shay Hatten and numerous other writers (including Saltburn’s Emerald Fennell) that the WGA credits for ‘additional literary material’. It’s easy to care about Eve’s quest. The plot isn’t just an excuse for set pieces; it’s the engine that powers them. Ballerina dares to ask why someone chooses a life of violence—not just how cool they look doing it. 

The action, of course, is where Ballerina truly shines. Like its Wick predecessors, it leans hard into long-take fight sequences and choreographed mayhem, thanks to the elite stunt team at 87Eleven. Ballerina pushes that formula further with more variety and imagination. There’s a brawl in an Austrian village that feels like The Sound of Music met Kill Bill and said, “Let’s do this.” 

It’s also worth mentioning that the film looks fantastic as well: shot across Prague, Budapest, and the Austrian Alps, Ballerina gives the Wick universe a distinctly European flair. Every frame feels dialled in for a theatrical experience. This isn’t ‘wait for streaming’; it’s grab your boys and hit the theatre.

John Who?

Ballerina is what a spinoff should be—familiar enough to satisfy fans but bold enough to chart its own course. With jaw-dropping action and more personality than any franchise installment since the original John Wick, this is the most story-driven, emotionally resonant entry in the verse—and it still finds time to light somebody on fire with a flamethrower. Ana de Armas is the real deal. This is a cinematic spectacle with an emotional spine. Wick may have started the legend, but Eve Macarro is making her own myth. And it’s one hell of a ride. 

★★★★☆