‘Ballerina’ Review: Style Over Substance, but a Worthy Addition to the John Wick Universe

In Ballerina, the John Wick cinematic universe takes more of a side step than a sharp turn. This spin-off, set in the narrow window between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, sees Ana de Armas stepping into the brutal, blood-soaked world of assassins with the poise of a dancer and the precision of a killer. It’s definitely not a redefinition of the franchise but a stylish extension nonetheless, one that swaps Keanu’s moody brooding for de Armas’ icy resolve. It explores the Wick lore without rewriting the rules, and while the plot is about as deep as a bullet casing, the action more than carries its weight.

Eve Macarro, played by de Armas, isn’t your typical action protagonist. Raised within the Ruska Roma criminal syndicate, a shadowy organization that trains orphans in ballet and brutality in equal measure, Eve’s life was rewritten the day her father was murdered. With a past drenched in trauma and a future carved out by vengeance, she is forged into a weapon under the gaze of the Director (Anjelica Huston, as chilling as ever).

Though Ballerina borrows much from its parent franchise, gothic aesthetics, precision violence, a body count that stacks high, it brings its own flavor. De Armas doesn’t imitate Wick; she invents her own rhythm. Her fighting style leans into agility and creativity: guns, blades, grenades, even ice skates find their way into her arsenal. If there’s a tool within reach, Eve’s likely to use it to incapacitate someone in five seconds flat.

It’s a lean story, revenge, retribution, repeat. But the choreography of chaos keeps it afloat. Director Len Wiseman doesn’t try to out-Wick John Wick; instead, he opens the sandbox and lets the carnage unfold with style. One sequence, involving a weapons dealer and an ambush, flips the script mid-scene, turning a mundane transaction into a grenade-lobbing ballet of bullets. It’s as if someone took a cutscene from a hyper-violent video game and pumped it full of adrenaline.

Much of that is thanks to de Armas herself. Having hinted at her action potential in No Time To Die and even more so in Ghosted, here she fully commits, dodging bullets, wielding blades, and stomping out lives with the resolve of someone with nothing left to lose. When her trainer Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) tells her to “fight like a girl,” it’s not a jab, it’s a challenge. It’s a reminder that power doesn’t have to look like brute force.

Ballerina is sharp and beautifully choregraphed, don’t overthink and just let the glow and gunfire take over.

Eve’s path leads her to the snowy confines of a European mountain village, the home of the cult responsible for her father’s death. Gabriel Byrne steps into the role of the Chancellor, a shadowy cult leader whose calm demeanor masks something far more sinister. He’s less a fully fleshed-out character than a looming presence, a figurehead of control rather than chaos. In typical John Wick fashion, his motivations are wrapped in cryptic philosophy and cold detachment. When he delivers the line, “A bullet is not good or evil. What a man chooses to do with it reveals their character,” it lands not as wisdom, but as a warning, the kind of chilling clarity that defines the series’ moral compass.

There’s a supporting cast here too, though not all of them get their due. Norman Reedus appears as a mysterious ally, and rather disappointingly has incredibly little screen time. And Catalina Sandino Moreno’s Lena hints at a backstory that never gets explored. Lance Reddick and Ian McShane return briefly as Charon and Winston, respectively, adding some connective tissue for franchise purists. And yes, Keanu Reeves shows up—eventually. When he does, it’s a punchy reminder that there’s still only one Baba Yaga, but de Armas proves she doesn’t need a crutch.

As with the main franchise, there’s no shortage of exotic locations and heavily stylized backdrops. The second half of the film unfolds in a remote, wintry village where Eve goes head-to-head with an army of zealots. The climax features a flamethrower duel that’s more like Mad Max, and yet it works, absurd, explosive, and totally committed to its vision.

The most satisfying element of Ballerina isn’t the carnage, though there’s plenty to go around. It’s watching de Armas command the screen with cool conviction. There’s a steadiness in her performance, a stillness that makes her moments of eruption all the more compelling. Like Reeves before her, she finds power in restraint. And when the time comes, she lets loose with all the fury the franchise demands.

Where Ballerina stumbles is in its storytelling. Plot threads appear, flicker, and vanish with little payoff, while backstories are hinted at and then swiftly abandoned. It’s as if the film can’t wait to skip past emotional depth and get straight to the next creatively staged kill. But then again, maybe that’s the point. Narrative may take a backseat, but style is in the driver’s seat and…it’s speeding. It’s all so meticulously stylized that you eventually stop asking questions and just let the spectacle wash over you.

After four films hammering home that vengeance is a never-ending loop, Ballerina doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it just spins it in style. This is a film fully aware of its identity: sleek, sharp, beautifully choregraphed and occasionally bathed in pulsing neon, don’t overthink and just let the glow and gunfire take over.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is now playing in cinemas worldwide.

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