From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” twirls into the franchise with deadly grace where elegance meets execution. Directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, the film spins a stylish web of vengeance that’s more balletic than bombastic, though not without its stumbles.
Ana de Armas commands Eva Macarro, a lethal ballerina and assassin dancing between revenge and redemption. Raised within the Ruska Roma crime family (first introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3), Eva is propelled by vengeance after uncovering the truth behind her father’s murder. Her childhood, stripped away by violence, fuels her quest to honor his legacy. Ballerina pirouettes through themes of loss, legacy, and the choices we make—to kill or to save.
The film cleverly draws parallels between ballet and assassination, fusing elegance with brutality. Visually and thematically, it’s a dance of fire and ice, especially in its nods to Swan Lake, which shares the story’s central conflicts of love, loyalty, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Tchaikovsky’s iconic score weaves throughout the film, grounding it in the emotional terrain of classic tragedy.
Though it doesn’t always land with the impact of its John Wick predecessors, Ballerina delivers with precise fight choreography, slick direction, and an emotionally compelling lead in Ana de Armas. The Wick-world cameos are well-placed, enhancing the narrative without overshadowing Eva’s arc. The film even flips the “fight like a girl” trope on its head, reiterating that her strength lies in her grace and fury. She’s not just surviving this brutal worlds, she’s dancing through it.
Cinematography and lighting lean heavily into moody palettes of deep blue, crimson, and soft pinks, reflecting the film’s emotional peaks and valleys. And no Wick-adjacent film would be complete without a neon-lit club sequence turned brawl. Still, some moments falter: the plot flattens at times, and the non-classical music choices, aside from the haunting Swan Lake motif, often feel mismatched and underwhelming.
While Ballerina may not reinvent the genre, it twirls into its own space with style, grit, and a graceful kind of rage. A ballet of blood and vengeance, it’s a satisfying spin in the ever-expanding Wickverse.
