Movie Poster

That "fuckin' nobody"... is John Wick. He once was an associate of ours. They call him "Baba Yaga."

The Boogeyman?

Well John wasn't exactly the Boogeyman. He was the one you sent to kill the fucking Boogeyman.

Previous David Leitch film review:

• Bullet Train

# Review

I’ve watched this film multiple times, and I’m rewatching it again before I watch the latest installment in the series. The story of the first film introduces John Wick (Keanu Reeves), a retired mob hitman forced to unretire when the Russian gangsters led by Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) kill his dog and steal his car. Wick turns against his former organization led by Iosef’s father Viggo (Michael Nyqvist).

Reeves is perfect as Wick, a man who is deadly but also very introverted and reserved. I like how casual Reeves can be, especially when the situations are juxtaposed with the violence, such as Wick taking the bus after his home gets attacked and Wick casually chatting with a policeman after murdering dozens of men. The supporting cast does its role in enhancing Wick’s character.

The script is amazing. The pacing is just perfect and the dialogue is concise but impactful. The underground world of assassins is also very intriguing. The main selling point of the film, the action sequences, are extremely violent but somehow also elegant and classy with its stylized cinematography and lighting, as well as the chic environments. Truly the film makes art from violence.

# Conclusion

One of the greatest action films ever made.

# Overall rating: 8.4

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