John Wick: Chapter 4
Composite Score: 84.53
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou, Lance Reddick, Clancy Brown, Ian McShane, Marko Zaror, Bill Skarsgård, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Natalia Tena, and Scott Adkins
Director: Chad Stahelski
Writers: Shay Hatten and Michael Finch
Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong violence and some language
Box Office: $440.16 million
Why should you Watch This Film?
John Wick: Chapter 4 is the fourth film in the action franchise helmed by former stuntman Chad Stahelski and gritty action star Keanu Reeves. The film sees the return of Reeves as the titular hitman turned vengeance-seeker along with Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King, Lance Reddick as Charon, and Ian McShane as Winston. Joining them on this outing are Clancy Brown as the Harbinger, Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis De Gramont, Donnie Yen as Caine, and Shamier Anderson as Tracker. The film continues in the vein of its predecessors, picking up with John almost exactly where we left him in the third film (though probably after a couple of weeks’ recovery time in this case) and takes us on an action-packed romp across the franchise’s secret world of The Table, assassins, Continental hotels, personal vendettas, and more. The film’s extended runtime in comparison to the previous three allows it to really dwell on the implications of John’s actions alongside some phenomenal action showcases. It garnered both critical and audience acclaim for its emotional resonance, innovative action sequences, and quality send-off(?) for the titular anti-hero, earning a Golden Globe nomination and SAG nomination in the process.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
As a sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4 is full of names, locations, and references that will very quickly overwhelm someone going into it with no prior knowledge. I saw one reviewer that was so fed up with what felt to me like infrequent references to “The Table” that they gave this film half a star in their review. While I think that was more a knee-jerk, click-driven reaction, I do see their point that this film (and the other John Wick sequels) are so steeped in their own lore that their stories are a bit unapproachable for people who haven’t seen each prior film (preferably multiple times). This is what I love about the John Wick films because I’m a sucker for good world-building, and I’ll nerd out trying to keep track of what we know and don’t know about various fictional worlds, but I also recognize that that’s not everyone’s favorite thing to do. For a film like this one, the great action sequences go a long way in salvaging the sense of listlessness that can come from not knowing who you’re supposed to know, who’s new, what everyone’s connections are, and how the rules work, but all of that still definitely hinders the level to which you’ll enjoy the film’s story, which really is the main reason that it’s had the success that it has.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
For me, the story of John Wick: Chapter 4 feels like the culmination of everything that came before, and it works from both an action and story standpoint. The welcome introduction of new characters Caine and Tracker supplements the film’s themes of death, revenge, duty, closure, and relationship. The action sequences from the desert to Osaka to Berlin to Paris all carry weight because of what success means to John. The final duel with Caine/the Marquis at dawn overlooking Paris brings everything home – it highlights the personal impact that John has been able to have in the life that he's lived up to this point, the impersonality of The Table and their operatives, and the isolation that comes from living a life of revenge. Every moment of the film feels like it’s building to this conclusion, and it leaves you with a sense of satisfaction that John has found justice and come to terms with the cycle of violence that he’s permeated up to this point. It also definitely helps that there are some gorgeous action set pieces in this film – standouts being the Osaka Continental fight, the chase through the Berlin club, and the overhead tactical fight in the dilapidated house in Paris. It all combines to leave you with an impactful and fun ride to the end with John.
A cohesive conclusion to John Wick’s story, John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers big on action thanks to Reeves and newcomers Donnie Yen and Shamier Anderson and on story thanks to the work put in by Reeves and Stahelski in the previous installments that pays off well in this one, earning the film a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. I would definitely suggest seeing the other films before you watch this one to get the best impact, but it’s still a fun action film regardless. You can currently stream this film with a Starz subscription or rent it on most other streaming services if you’re looking to watch it any time soon.
