John Wick: Chapter 4 is a 2023 neo-noir action film directed by Chad Stahelski, and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, based on characters created by Derek Kolstad. It is the direct sequel to 2019's John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and the fourth installment in the John Wick film series. Filming took place in Berlin, Paris, Osaka, and New York City from June to October 2021.

With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hitman John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.

Starring Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane.

John Wick: Chapter 4 made its debut in theaters on March 24th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

Let me just get this out of the way first, I have what many would consider to be an unhealthy obsession with the John Wick franchise. When the first film was released back in 2014, my buddy and I were making John Wick references for months, mostly to the tune of “John Wick would beat your ass for that”. Not very creative I admit, but as a couple of blue-collar guys who enjoy the finer things in life like beers and buffalo wings, we were all in on this magical Keanu Reeves transformation, and the legend of John Wick was born. These movies have it all, a down-to-earth hero that is easy to root for, an immersive and unique world that feels like it could really exist, and just the pure satisfaction of watching bad guys get their asses beat in ways you never thought possible. So yeah, I was pumped for John Wick: Chapter 4 to hit theaters and made sure I was planted firmly in my seat for the very first screening. So, did it match my expectations and do this incredible franchise justice? Keep reading to find out!

I really can’t believe I am saying this, but John Wick: Chapter 4 is the best movie in the franchise to date, simple as that. I am going to do my best to break down and share my experience without writing a novel, which is honestly easier said than done. At the conclusion of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (our full review here), we see a battered and bruised John Wick who was the victim of an unfortunate and opportunistic double-crossing. He looks about as bad off as he ever has, which if you have seen the first 3 films, is really saying something.

The latest entry opens with him now back at full strength, and training for what is sure to be his latest revenge tour, this time with members of the High Table in his sights. Living a peaceful life was never really meant to be for the guy they call Baba Yaga, aka the boogeyman. Violence follows him wherever he goes, and for someone who is seemingly indestructible and widely feared across the globe, greedy hitmen can’t help but punch their own ticket to that place six feet under by testing his patience. Some of us like to say we have had a long day, well John Wick has had a long decade, and it isn’t even close to over.

John Wick: Chapter 4 finds the man with the highest bounty on his head yet, and members of the High Table going out of their way to make things extra difficult for John and anyone willing to help him. Chapter 3 was essentially 2-hours of John Wick trying his best to survive, and while they could have taken a similar approach with John Wick: Chapter 4, they instead turned the hunted into the hunter. John is fed up with what he deems to be unfair treatment coming from the High Table, and he intends to make it right. I had a blast with the story, but as fans were hoping, the real star of the show is the action and the seemingly never-ending fight scenes. The John Wick films take the idea of stylistic action thriller to another level, and they ramp things up to a 10 with John Wick: Chapter 4. The more I think about the movie the more blown away I am, and I really just want to see it again immediately. It is that good.

I have heard people say that they bailed on the John Wick franchise during the first movie when his dog was killed, but the entire franchise was built around him seeking revenge for such a heinous act. For those of you who fall in this category, trust me when I say that the John Wick films are very much pro man’s best friend, and John Wick: Chapter 4 actually makes it a point to build on that. A new character known only as the Tracker is introduced, and he has his trusty companion by his side at all times. This dog actually plays a major role in the film, and even partakes in one specific scene during the final act of the film that had the entire theater laughing. The dog may not take out quite as many bad guys as Mr. Wick, but he certainly does his part let me just say that. More about that duo later in the review.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the equivalent of Disneyland for action movie fans, only better and without the annoying lines. This franchise has been on a tear from the very beginning, but the 4th film finds a way to up the ante in every way that matters. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum was a nonstop 2-hour thrill ride, so of course Chapter 4 had to add another full hour, for the purposes of building on the story, right? Wrong! Chad Stahelski found a way to add another hour while making the film feel even more action-packed with higher stakes and new characters, and basically refusing to slow down. The stunts and fight scenes in John Wick are simply unmatched, and if I ever have a chance to meet Stahelski in this lifetime, I just want to shake his hand and offer to buy him a beer. This guy gets it. I’d love to be a fly on the wall during one of his creative sessions where he thinks up all of these amazing action sequences.

When you are watching a movie and can’t help but think “wow this scene must have been insane to film”, you know they pulled out all the stops. Considering this movie is 3-hours long, I never once looked at my phone to get an idea of how much longer it was going to be which is pretty damn impressive if you ask me. I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning, and I am pretty sure I still have marks on my face from the permanent smile I had. Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski is a damn wizard, and anything he touches basically turns to gold. If his name is attached to a project in the future, I will see it without a second thought. Simple as that.

The music and score are pure fire once again thanks to Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard. An action-packed adrenaline-fueled franchise like this requires a hard-hitting soundtrack, and they are more than up for the challenge. John Wick: Chapter 4 also opens the door for great opportunities with visuals thanks to a number of great filming locations, and cinematographer Dan Laustsen takes full advantage. I can’t even count how many times I found myself just taking in the environment as the camera panned back setting the stage for more excitement.

The cast is phenomenal, which has come to be standard for this franchise. Needless to say, Keanu Reeves is a godsend, a true inspiration, and a reminder that sometimes kindness is the only real legacy we need to leave behind. We have all seen the stories about how he really is just a genuinely good guy who also happens to be one of the best actors of our generation, and I personally refuse to take this guy for granted. Now add all of this together and consider the fact that the well-intentioned stoner from the 1989 cult classic Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure has become one of the most badass film icons in recent memory, it really is incredible.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is easily the most grueling and demanding performance from Reeves in the entire franchise, and he is absolutely amazing. I know I have been saying this for almost a decade now, but I could watch John Wick whoop ass for hours and hours and never get bored. Even though he does build up possibly his highest body count in this film, John Wick also gets in touch with the idea of his own mortality, which is a rare thing for a man who takes a lickin’ and just keeps on tickin’. I know some people like to stay busy during retirement, but damn John at least take a vacation or something.

As far as new characters go, the Tracker is easily my favorite addition to the cast and fits so perfectly within the John Wick universe. In many ways, he fills the void left behind by Common’s Cassian character and serves as a complicated balance between friend and foe. Actor Shamier Anderson takes on the role of the Tracker, and man does he make his mark. This role was a massive opportunity for the Canadian-born Anderson, and to say he took full advantage would be an understatement. He hasn’t been involved with too many notable projects, but he did recently star in the Hulu original indie drama film Bruiser, where he was able to show off his potential. Interestingly enough, I knew he looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place him, speaking to his ability to fully immersive himself in this and showing off an on-screen presence he wasn’t able to hone in on in Bruiser. He was a different guy, simple as that.

Anderson has a unique charisma and the ability to make viewers feel like they understand and can relate to him, even though his entire backstory is a mystery in John Wick: Chapter 4. His first interaction with John Wick makes you wonder if he has been lurking in the shadows all this time. He just feels like he belongs, and even though his allegiances are constantly put into question, you can’t help but like his character. A big reason for that is his trusty companion, a dog that never leaves his side.

Any John Wick fan worth their salt knows how much our canine counterparts mean to the films, and the Tracker’s dog may be the most impactful addition yet. He is always in the middle of the action ripping several bad guys to shreds (oftentimes in their no-no parts), and he also plays a pivotal role in the trajectory of the relationship between the Tracker and John Wick. One particular scene during the final act of the film where the camera zooms in on the Tracker and his dog had the entire theater smiling ear to ear.

The story behind Anderson’s involvement in John Wick: Chapter 4 is very interesting. The 31-year-old actor has a background in martial arts, but he didn’t need to audition for this role in order to prove he had what it took to join such a successful franchise. Anderson played a role in the 2020 Halle Berry film Bruised, where he caught the eye of director Chad Stahelski, who reached out to his agent saying he had a role in mind for him and asked that he take a look at the script got John Wick: Chapter 4. Anderson was quoted in an interview as saying, “you had me at John Wick 4”. Of course, he did. So no audition was needed and the rest is history. The confidence and charisma that Anderson brings to his character is part of the reason why John Wick: Chapter 4 is the cherry on top of an already incredible franchise.

In so many ways the film plays out like a videogame in the sense of John Wick facing off against several worthy foes or big bosses. Biggest amongst them is the latest thorn in Wick’s side, the Marquis played by the talented and often equally terrifying Bill Skarsgård. Skarsgård is amazing in this role, and his relentless pursuit of eradicating John Wick is a goal he dedicates every possible resource to. I hated his character from the start and so will you, which speaks to how great he is.

The imposing Marko Zaror plays Skarsgård’s right-hand man who has the entire High Table army at his disposal. A Chilean martial arts action star and fight choreographer, Zaror is a beast. I loved him in this role. Another big-time bad guy who stands out for their uniqueness is Scott Adkins, who is absolutely unrecognizable in his role as Killa. The excitement that follows when John Wick decides to pay him a visit is a real treat. Ian McShane is marvelous yet again as Winston, and even though he left things a bit rocky with John after the last film, we knew it was only a matter of time before the two crossed paths again.

Two massive additions to the franchise are Donnie Yen as Caine and Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu. Yen has a checkered past with the High Table similar to John Wick, and because of the threat they pose to his family if he fails to honor a formal request, he finds himself on the path of hunting down a man he considers to be a friend. Oh, and did I mention he is blind yet considered to be one of the few men who are a legitimate threat to John Wick, that in itself is wild. The dynamic between Caine and John Wick is very fascinating, as both men live and die by their loyalties but will also protect their families above all else. Caine was easily another one of my favorite characters.

Sanada, who was great in the action thriller Bullet Train (our review here), jumps into the John Wick franchise like he has been here all along, as he takes on the role of Shimazu Koji, the manager of the Osaka Continental Hotel. Koji quickly proves that although Wick has been excommunicado and stripped of all resources and essentially blacklisted with a massive bounty on his head, he is still willing to support the man he considers to be a friend even if it does put him and his family in danger. Koji comes across as the head of the Yakuza, and to that he is fearless would be selling him short. His character is a significant chess piece for John Wick in this film, and they could not have picked a better actor to take on the role.

John Wick: Chapter 4 includes so many scenes that have incredible depth in terms of the characters and their place within the franchise, and that is in large part due to the extremely sad and untimely death of actor Lance Reddick, who passed away unexpectedly just a few days before the red carpet premiere and exactly a week prior to the films theatrical release. The film does include a brief moment of remembrance for Reddick who plays the role of Charon, also known as the Concierge.

John Wick has a unique bond with Charon from the first film, and even though we don’t get quite as much from his character in John Wick: Chapter 4, the weight of his death is felt throughout the film. I have been a fan of Reddick since HBO’s The Wire, and also really enjoyed his role in the Amazon Prime original series Bosch, based on the Michael Connolly books. The outpouring of support over Reddick’s death has been substantial, and the man will be missed as an actor and as a genuinely good person.

THE BAD

Can you have too much of a good thing? Nah. This movie was everything I needed it to be, and then some. Unless you dislike this genre or just hate having fun, John Wick: Chapter 4 is about as good as it gets.

THE VERDICT

An incredibly rare 4th entry in a massively successful franchise that somehow finds a way to raise the bar in every conceivable way, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a guilty pleasure that I hope to indulge in theaters as many times as humanely possible. Director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves are a match made in heaven, simple as that. This movie is bigger, badder, and well worth the 4-year hiatus. Plus Stahelski and the casting team were masterful as they added new actors and characters to the storied franchise. I just can’t imagine a world without the John Wick films, what a sad and empty place that would be.

If you have any reservations whatsoever about a 3-hour film, you can ignore them because this movie is so exciting and immersive you will feel like it was an hour and 30 minutes max. Do yourself a favor and see John Wick: Chapter 4 in theaters as soon as you can. The film does have a brief post-credits scene so be sure to stick around for that, and keep an eye out for Ballerina, an upcoming John Wick spinoff film starring Ana de Armas.