Following an event in which John Wick is left for dead, the film revolves around the titular character who decides to go on a quest for vengeance against the High Table after events in which people try to kill him. It is a film that follows this assassin who was forced back into the criminal world only to be put into situations he didn’t want to go in which the organization he used to work for now has raised the bounty on his head with one of its members leading the charge to have Wick killed. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just follow the fall-out from events of the previous film that has Wick violate rules within the organization but also a growing bounty on his head where Wick has to figure out how to get them off his back. Even as some of his old allies have to help him in secrecy with New York Continental Hotel manager Winston Scott being excommunicated for his own actions as he wants vengeance on the High Table. Yet, the High Table sends one of its key figures in Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard) to oversee the bounty on Wick as he gets Scott excommunicated while forcing an old friend of Wick in the blind-assassin Caine (Donnie Yen) to find and kill Wick or else he kills his daughter.
Wick would kill an elder above the High Table as he seeks refuge at the Osaka Continental run by his old friend Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his daughter Akira (Rina Samayama) who is the hotel’s concierge as she is reluctant to allow Wick stay at the hotel. Yet, Wick is discovered by Caine, de Gramont’s aide Chidi (Marko Zaror), and a bounty hunter in Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson) as they all hunt for him where Wick learns about Scott’s excommunication who tells him about an old rule that would have Wick challenge de Gramont to an old-fashioned duel. The second act is about Wick’s journey to get this duel to happen as he goes through challenges as well as trying to win the favor of his adopted sister Katia (Natalia Tena) by killing a member of the High Table in Killa (Scott Adkins) to avenge her father’s death. The third act is about this duel but also what de Gramont would do to have the duel not happen by facing Scott who would be Wick’s second.
Chad Stahelski’s direction is grand not just for being shot on various locations in New York City, Paris, parts of Jordan, Osaka, and Berlin with some of its intricate set pieces shot in studios in Germany. It also plays into the vastness of a violent criminal underworld that Wick was once part of yet is forced back in only to become the hunted. Stahelski does use wide and medium shots for not just to establish some of the locations but also to play into this world where ordinary criminals and amateurs try to hunt Wick with some intricate fight scenes that also play as if it is a dance routine. Aided by fight choreographers Laurent Demianoff and Corrine Devaux, many of the camera work in the wide and medium shots allow Stahelski to create scenes where the set pieces and the way an actor is positioned on a location during a gunfight or hand-to-hand combat fight is played out without the need to speed things along. Stahelski knows when to slow things down when it comes to non-action scenes where the close-ups and medium shots come into play such as the reunion between Wick and Scott as they both lament over their situation.
Stahelski also plays into this idea of power as it is something that de Gramont has where he is willing to do anything to anyone to kill Wick including Caine and Mr. Nobody. Yet, both men are capable of killing Wick except that Caine is an old friend of Wick while the latter shares Wick’s love for dogs since he travels with a dog who also attacks anyone that is considered a threat as there are moments that do showcases moments of humor. Still, Stahelski does focus on what is at stake and what Wick is willing to do in order to survive but also to put the High Table on its knees due to its rules and some of its outdated ideals. The film’s climax does relate to this duel where de Gramont is someone not capable of doing a duel which is why he sends many criminals to kill him in Paris as it is filled with grand set pieces and fights that shows how much Wick wants to destroy the High Table. Overall, Stahelski crafts a thrilling and visceral film about a hitman on a quest for revenge to destroy the organization that has tried to kill him over and over again.
Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as low-key lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Nathan Orloff does amazing work with the editing with its approach to rhythmic and jump-cuts that allows the action and fight scenes to breathe as well as knowing when to let shots linger for a bit without playing into conventional editing that is typical with a lot of action films. Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorators Rand Abdel Nour and Mark Rosinski plus supervising art directors Andreas Olshausen and Chris Shriver, does excellent work with the look of the Osaka Continental hotel as well as some of the places in Berlin and Paris including the Arc de Triomphe set for a major car-chase scene. Costume designer Paco Delgado does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Wick wears as well as the stylish clothing that de Gramont wear.
Hair designer Kerrie Smith, along with makeup designers Antoinette Aderotoye and Stephen Kelly, does terrific work with the look of a few characters including some of the prosthetics for the look of the Killa character as this big fat man that can move fast. Special effects supervisors Gerd Nefzer, Bernd Rautenberg, and Charles-Axel Vollard, along with visual effects supervisors, Antoine Moulineau, Janelle Ralla, and Jonathan Rothbart, do brilliant work with the visual effects in some of the action set pieces where a lot of it is mainly set-dressing. Sound designers Gael Nicolas, Alan Rankin, and Xiao’ou Olivia Zhang, along with editors Paul P. Soucek and Mark P. Stoeckinger, do superb work with the sound as it play into the sounds of katana blades, gunfire, and other objects as well as the way music sounds inside a club and from afar. The film’s music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is wonderful with its mixture of rock, metal, and electronic music to create something intense and frenetic to play into the action and suspense while music supervisor Jen Malone cultivates a soundtrack that consists of an array of music from rock, soul, and EDM.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane and Magalie Combes is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Bridget Moynahan in a brief flashback as Wick’s wife Helen, Sven Marquardt as a bouncer named Klaus who accompanies Wick to meet Killa, Yoshinori Tashiro as a former sumo wrestler who is a gatekeeper for the Osaka Continental, George Georgiou as an Elder in Jordan who operates above the High Table that Wick confronts, Natalia Tena as Wick’s adopted sister Katia who runs her own family as she is reluctant to help out Wick, and Marko Zaror as de Gramont’s longtime aide Chidi who is this intimidating figure who beats up everyone in his path as he is also willing to stop Wick only to do things involving Mr. Nobody that gets him in trouble. Clancy Brown is superb as the Harbinger as a High Table operative who oversees everything including the duel between Wick and de Gramont. In one of his final film roles, Lance Reddick is fantastic as Scott’s longtime concierge Charon who deals with the chaos from the previous events but also the lack of future for the New York Continental Hotel over what had happened.
Rina Samayama is excellent as Koji’s daughter Akira who is also the Osaka Continental’s concierge as she is a fearless warrior who helps Wick with her own reluctance as she becomes aware of the corruption within the High Table. Scott Adkins is brilliant as a High Table official in Killa as a big fat man who killed Katia’s father as he tries to cheat Wick and a few others leading to a big brawl. Hiroyuki Sanada is amazing as Shimazu Koji as an old friend of Wick who runs the Osaka Continental as he does what he can to help Wick while dealing with the High Table including another old friend in Caine. Laurence Fishburne is incredible as the Bowery King as one of the few allies of Wick who helps him gain shelter as well as other things in the hopes of taking down the High Table. Shamier Anderson is remarkable as Mr. Nobody as a tracker/bounty hunter who goes on the hunt for Wick as he is accompanied by a dog who helps him attack others where he ends up sympathizing with Wick upon dealing with Chidi. Ian McShane is great as Winston Scott as the former New York Continental Hotel manager who becomes excommunicated over his own actions relating to Wick as he laments over his own loss but also what the organization he works for has become.
Bill Skarsgard is marvelous as Marquis Vincent de Gramont as this figure of the High Table who wants Wick dead while being arrogant about his place in the High Table in the hopes that he can gain more power with a disdain towards the old ways. Donnie Yen is phenomenal as Caine as a blind former assassin who often watches his daughter from afar as he reluctantly gets back in the game to hunt and kill Wick so that his daughter wouldn’t be killed where Yen maintains this sense of honor and compassion of a man who was also a friend of Wick where he sympathizes with Wick’s issues with the High Table. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in an outstanding performance as the titular character who has become the hunted where he goes on a quest for vengeance against the organization he once worked for in the hope he can be free from them once and for all. Reeves maintains this sense of restraint of a man that has lost everything yet is willing to fight for his own survival and sense of honor as he also laments on those who are closest to him that are facing loss of their own as it is an iconic performance from Reeves.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is a tremendous film from Chad Stahelski that features a great leading performance from Keanu Reeves. Along with its incredible ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, Nathan Orloff’s frenetic editing, intricate fight choreography, immense set pieces, and a gripping music soundtrack. The film that doesn’t just raise the game of what action films could be but also infuse it with high stakes, drama, and suspense to explore a man going on a quest for revenge. In the end, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a spectacular film from Chad Stahelski.
Related: John Wick - John Wick: Chapter 2 - John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum - (Ballerina (2024 film))
© thevoid99 2023
Directed by Chad Stahelski and screenplay by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams from a story by Kolstad, John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is the third film in the John Wick series that has the titular character going on the run as a $14 million bounty is placed on his head to due to events that he created. The film explores a man who was once considered the finest assassin as he is now hunted over an incident that pushed him to the edge as Keanu Reeves reprises his role as the titular character. Also starring Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Marc Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Halle Berry as Sofia. John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a rapturous yet exhilarating film from Chad Stahelski.
After breaking a taboo at the Continental Hotel in New York City and with a $14 million bounty on his head that increases, the film revolves around the infamous assassin who goes on the run as he also tries to find help with many reluctant to do so in fear that they would be destroyed by the High Chair. It’s a film with a simple premise as it plays into a man being hunted by the people he used to work for as he tries to find some form of redemption for his actions although it’s not an easy thing to do to win over the elders of the High Chair. The film’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more about the sins of John Wick and how he survives being hunted as he also uses a few sacred objects to get help and reach those in the High Chair. Yet, even those who had helped him in the past like Continental Hotel manager Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are both in trouble with the High Chair who send the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) to handle the situation as the director of the Ruska Roma (Anjelica Huston) is forced to take punishment in order to maintain her loyalty to the High Chair. Another ally of Wick who reluctantly helps him is Morocco’s Continental Hotel manager Sofia as a way to repay a favor that he did for her years ago.
Chad Stahelski’s direction is stylish as it picks up just a few hours after the events of the previous film where Wick and his dog both are on the run during a rainy night in New York City as it establishes the limited amount of time Wick has where he would be officially declared excommunicated. Shot on location in New York City and parts of Morocco, the film does play into a man on the run as he is trying to survive and figure out his next move. Stahelski’s usage of the wide and medium shots don’t just establish some of the locations that Wick is in but also this underworld that involves the Continental and the High Chair where Wick used to be a part of as it had its own set of rules. Stahelski also establishes what is going on as he definitely takes his time to showcase what is happening whenever Wick is fighting someone where he also uses a few long shots to play into the brutality of the action.
Stahelski also knows when to take a break from the action as it relates to the drama that Wick had caused where Winston and the Bowery King are given a week to settle their affairs as the latter finds fault about the rule of the High Chair leading him into some serious trouble with the Adjudicator and her hired assassin named Zero (Marc Dacascos). Yet, Zero is someone who is an admirer of Wick as he sees him as a true warrior where things become complicated in the eventual showdown in the third act where Wick returns to New York City with a task that he must do yet it would be at great cost of what he had already lost. Yet, it would have a chilling aftermath into not just the many flaws of the High Chair and those in power but also Wick’s revelations about the oath he had taken years ago as an assassin and then walking free for a life of his own. Overall, Stahelski crafts a gripping and intense film about an assassin becoming hunted over a taboo that he broke in the criminal underworld.
Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lights for many of the scenes set at night along with the usage of greyish colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes in New York as well as a naturalistic look for the scenes in Morocco. Editor Evan Schiff does amazing work with the editing as it emphasizes a lot on style but it also has a rhythm in its approach to the action while allowing shots to linger to establish what is going on as it is a major highlight of the film. Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorators Letizia Santucci and David Schlesinger plus supervising art director Chris Shriver, does brilliant work with the look of Winston’s glass office at the Continental and its vault as well as the look of the High Chair elder’s tent home. Costume designer Luca Mosca does fantastic work with the look of the black suit that Wick wears as well as the stylish look of the Adjudicator and the robe that Sofia wears.
Hair designer Kerrie Smith and makeup designer Stephen Kelly do terrific work with the look of some of the characters as well as the tattoos many in the underworld wear to play into the gritty world they live in. Special effects supervisor Steven Kirshoff, along with visual effects supervisors Robert Nederhorst and Rafa Solorzano, does excellent work with not just the special effects that occur in the action but also in the visuals as much of the visual effects are used as set dressing but also help maintain the atmosphere for the film’s visuals. Sound designers Luke Gibleon, Alan Rankin, and Martyn Zub, with sound editor Mark P. Stoeckinger, do superb work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of gunfire and other noises that occur in the cities or in a room. The film’s music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is wonderful for its usage of pulsating and brooding electronics with some heavy string arrangements that help play into the suspense and drama while music supervisor Kevin J. Edelman provides a soundtrack that mixes elements of classical music pieces along with some rock and electronic music cuts.
The casting by Salah Benchegra, Marisol Roncali, and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Boban Marjanovic as a tall hitman Wick fights at a library, Randall Kim Duk as a doctor that Wick knew as he reluctantly helped before Wick’s official declaration of being excommunicated, Jason Mantzoukas as one of the Bowery King’s men, Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian as a couple of Zero’s students who also admire Wick, Jerome Flynn as Sofia’s former boss Berrada who does something wrong to Sofia to get into trouble with her and Wick, Tobias Segal as a hitman who works for the Bowery King, and Said Taghmaoui as the High Chair Elder as a mysterious figure who gives Wick another chance but with a major price for Wick. Anjelica Huston is fantastic as the Director as a woman who runs a Russian mob outfit as she reluctantly gives Wick a chance to leave New York City but would pay a price for her actions. Lance Reddick is superb as the Continental Hotel concierge Charon who is kind of the film’s conscience as he would also keep an eye on Wick’s dog when he leaves the city.
Asia Kate Dillon is excellent as the Adjudicator as a spokesperson for the High Chair who oversees what is going on as she makes some moves in order to get those affiliated with Wick punished. Marc Dacascos is amazing as Zero as a Japanese assassin who works at a sushi shop in NYC as he is hired by the Adjudicator to find and kill Wick although he’s a fan of Wick’s work from the past as he also sees himself as an equal as he gives Wick the chance to fight man-to-man as an act of honor. Laurence Fishburne is brilliant as the Bowery King as an underworld crime boss who aided Wick in the past as he is aware of what he did but finds himself at odds with the people at the High Chair. Ian McShane is incredible as Winston as the manager of the Continental Hotel in New York City as he deals with his decision to atone for his actions in aiding Wick or to defy the High Chair as he is a man who is just trying to survive and do what he does best.
Halle Berry is phenomenal as Sofia as a former assassin who runs the Continental Hotel in Morocco as she is an old friend of Wick who isn’t eager to see him but does owe him a favor for what he did for her as she reluctantly helps him only to realize the extremes of the High Chair prompting her to team up with Wick for a brief period of time. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in a sensational performance as the titular character as a once revered and feared assassin who is now on the run with a massive bounty on his head as he copes with being the hunted as he also tries to atone for his actions but then questions what he’s giving up as it this chilling yet intense performance from Reeves.
John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a spectacular film from Chad Stahelski that features a great performance from Keanu Reeves in the titular role as well as an incredible supporting appearance from Halle Berry. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, hypnotic score, and intense yet visceral action and fighting. The film is definitely an action-suspense film that has a lot of thrills but also a study of a man being hunted for his actions while trying to figure out what to do next as his back is against the wall. In the end, John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum is a tremendous film from Chad Stahelski.
Related: John Wick - John Wick: Chapter 2 - John Wick Chapter 4 - (Ballerina (2024 film))
© thevoid99 2020
Directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, John Wick: Chapter 2 is the sequel to the 2014 film in which the titular former-hitman being forced to take part in assassination only to get into serious trouble just as he refused to return to the world of crime. It’s a film in which a man who had once gained peace in his life only to be driven back to the dark world of crime is suddenly trying to fight to retain this sense of peace that he has been craving for as Keanu Reeves reprises the role of the titular character. Also starring Common, John Leguizamo, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Ian McShane, and Laurence Fishburne. John Wick: Chapter 2 is a gritty and evocative film from Chad Stahelski.
The film follows the titular character who has just gotten revenge from the people who had lured him back into the world of crime as he hopes not to return until a crime boss asks him to do an impossible assignment as part of a blood oath Wick made many years ago. Wick initially refuses until his house was destroyed as he is forced to do the assignment as it relates to a person being coroneted to a high seat of crime lords in the hope he can’t do anything else ever again. Yet, the assignment proves to be tricky and challenging where it’s the aftermath that is more troubling as it play into the rules of what Wick has to live by. Derek Kolstad’s screenplay showcases Wick’s reluctance to return to the underworld as all he wants to do is live peacefully as he would make that deal with another crime lord earlier in the film who is related to the people that wronged him in the previous film.
Yet, that peace would be brief all because of the crime boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who gives Wick a marker that reminds him of the blood oath Wick makes. One of the two rules that Wick has to live by is to never turn down a marker and the other is no killing at any hotels known as the Continental as it’s forbidden in the criminal underworld. Wick has already violated one rule in private as he is forced to do the assassination for D’Antonio as it relates to a seat in this high council of criminal bosses. For everything that Wick has to do in this assignment in Rome, he also has to deal with other hitmen wanting to kill him including a boss’ loyal bodyguard in Cassian (Common) whom Wick has a mutual sense of respect for. When he returns to New York City to seek the help of another crime lord in the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) who is an outsider but also lives by the same code of the underworld.
Chad Stahelski’s direction is definitely stylish in its approach to the violence and action while it has a fluidity that harkens to martial arts and samurai films of the past. Shot on location in New York City and Rome, Italy with additional locations in Montreal, Stahelski opens the film with a car chase in New York City as it establishes what Wick is doing and what he wants where it sort of picks up where the previous film left off. While there are some wide shots of the different locations in the film including some unique compositions in some of the meetings and violent moments in some elaborate sequences. Stahelski knows when to slow things down as it relates to the story and what is going on through simple compositions in the close-ups and medium shots as well as the fact that Wick is still coping with the loss of his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan) some years ago. Stahelski’s approach to set-pieces and how to create moments of suspense are key to the action as he prefers to take its time rather than just go all-in and heighten the action even more following an action sequence.
Most notably a scene in which Wick faces off with Cassian in a New York City subway train where they both look at each other and they’re stuck in a crowd of people but rather than try to kill each other. They bide their time so that people can leave as neither man is interested in killing innocent people which showcases this rare sense of humanity that these two men have which is often lacking in action films. The stakes are also bigger for the film’s third act as it relates to Wick being this target and what D’Antonio is trying to do. Its climax is definitely inventive and stylish in its compositions and choreography with an aftermath that is about this air of uncertainty for Wick. Overall, Stahelski crafts a thrilling and intense film about a hitman being lured back into the criminal underworld.
Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does brilliant work with the film’s stylish cinematography with its usage of stylish lights and colors for some of the scenes including the Roman caverns and lights at night in Rome as well as some of the locations in New York City. Editor Evan Schiff does excellent work with the editing as it is very stylish with its fast-cuts to play into the action but knows when to slow things down and not deviate into chaotic fast-cutting styles. Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorators Letizia Santucci and David Schlesinger plus supervising art directors Isabelle Guay and Cristina Onori, does fantastic work with the look of the sets in Italy as well as the sets of the Continental hotel lobbies in Rome and New York City as well as the museum for the film’s climax. Costume designer Luca Mosca does amazing work with the costumes from the design of the suits that Wick wears as well as some of the clothes of the other characters.
Visual effects supervisor Paul Linden does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely low-key as set-dressing for some of the locations as well as for some of the film’s action sequences. Sound editor Mark P. Stoeckinger does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how gunfire and knives sound. The film’s music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is wonderful for its mixture of electronic, rock, and orchestral music that play into the suspense and action while music supervisor John Houlihan create a soundtrack that is a mixture of rock and electronic music that includes a cut from Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains.
The casting by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Bridget Monyahan as Wick’s wife Helen via flashbacks, Peter Stormare as a mob boss whom Wick confronts early in the film, Tobias Segal as a homeless hitman, Peter Serafinowicz as a tailor for the Continental, John Leguizamo as Wick’s friend Aurelio who owns a chop shop, Thomas Sadoski as a policeman friend of Wick in Jimmy, Lance Reddick as the concierge for the New York City Continental hotel in Charon, Franco Nero as the manager of the Continental hotel in Rome, and Claudia Gerini as Santino’s sister Gianna who has a seat in the high council of crime lords. Ian McShane is excellent as the New York City Continental hotel manager Winston who is a longtime friend of Wick that warns him about some of the consequences of what Wick would do. Ruby Rose is fantastic in a silent role as Santino’s mute bodyguard Ares as a woman that communicates through sign language as she is this ambiguous figure who is very deadly in the way she is willing to protect Santino.
Common is brilliant as Cassius as a bodyguard for a high council official who also knows Wick as he shares an equal amount of respect for him in the way they do business as well as trying to kill him but with a sense of honor. Laurence Fishburne is amazing as the Bowery King as a crime boss who is part of an underground crime syndicate as he helps Wick in dealing with Santino as well as knowing about what is happening to Wick. Riccardo Scamarcio is superb as Santino D’Antonio as a crime lord that wants Wick to do an assignment by using a sacred code in the hopes he can get a seat at a high council and rule New York City for his own reasons. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a man trying to move away from the world of crime only to be lured back because of a blood oath that he can’t refuse where he deals with the task he’s given as well as cope with the loss of his wife and home where Reeves display that restraint in his anguish while knowing that Wick is headed for uncertainty.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is a sensational film from Chad Stahelski that features another incredible performance from Keanu Reeves. Along with its supporting cast, dazzling visuals, and a gripping music score, it’s an action film that manages to do more than expected with its story of vengeance as well as what a man is forced to do when he’s lured back into the world of crime. In the end, John Wick: Chapter 2 is a riveting film from Chad Stahelski.
Related: John Wick - John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum - John Wick: Chapter 4 - (Ballerina (2024 film))
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch and written by Derek Kolstad, John Wick is the story of a former hitman who goes on a journey of vengeance following an attack of his home which led to the death of his puppy given to him by his late wife. The film is a simple tale of vengeance that plays into a man who was just trying to get his life back on track only to go all-out on those that made him mad as Keanu Reeves play the titular role. Also starring Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Dean Winters, and Willem Dafoe. John Wick is a thrilling and mesmerizing film from Chad Stahelski and David Leitch.
What happens when a former hitman consumed with grief over the loss of wife and then has his dog killed by a mob boss’ son who would also steal his 1969 Ford Mustang? Well, if that man is John Wick. It will take an army to stop a monster that just woke up and is in the kind of pain that no one wants to endure. While it is a simple revenge film of sorts, it’s really about a man that is coping with loss as he had spent years trying to clean up his life and not kill for anyone in the world of crime. The loss of his wife would have a major impact on him as the final gift she gave him was a puppy as it was that glimpse of hope that he wouldn’t have to grieve alone. Instead, the son of a mob boss he used to work for would fuck things up not just for himself but his father who realizes that he’s absolutely fucked.
Derek Kolstad’s script doesn’t just explore a man’s grief as he goes into a quest for vengeance but also a look into a past he had tried to walk away from as it’s one that is cold and violent but has changed into something that is more civil but with those who lack ethics. Wick is a man of the old school as his old boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist) describes him as someone that kills the Boogeyman. In some ways, Wick is a monster that had been tamed into a human being through his wife where he didn’t have to think about killing or be part of a crime world. Due to the actions of Viggo’s son Iosev (Alfie Allen), Wick is forced to go back into the world he wanted to leave where he is aware that there’s a bounty on his head but he is carrying a lot of pain in him as it makes him unstoppable. Wounding him just slows him down as he’s focused on vengeance as Kolstad’s script is aware of the rules but also into the fact that some just don’t grief is something not easily curable.
The film’s direction by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch is quite stylish in a lot of respects where much of the visuals and compositions definitely owe a lot to film noir. Shot largely on location in New York City and New Jersey, the film does take its time to flesh things out where it does open with a wounded Wick crashing a SUV as he struggles to get help while he looks into his phone that contains a video of his late wife. It establishes what kind of man he is as well as the fact that for all of his actions as a hitman and doing all sorts of things. There is good in him and losing the one person that humanized him is hurtful where the direction knows where to place the camera and not go for anything conventional in terms of the compositions such as how the camera is lined-up against the actor in a frame. The usage of wide and medium shots don’t just help capture the atmosphere of some of the locations including a few clubs and places that Viggo runs but also in the usage of close-ups where some of the dramatic tension occurs that include a meeting between Wick and Viggo. The film’s climax is quite elaborate as it isn’t just a thirst of vengeance but also a showdown in the old ways where the usage of wide shots and close-ups really come into play. Overall, Stahelski and Letich creates an exhilarating and gripping film about a former hitman on a quest for vengeance.
Cinematographer Jonathan Sela does excellent work with the film‘s stylish cinematography with its usage of lights for many of the interior settings at night including the clubs as well as some of the warehouses in the way it uses filters to set a mood. Editor Elisabet Ronalds does nice work with the editing with its usage of montages but also in creating a sense of tension in the way the suspense is built along with dazzling fast-cuts to play into the intensity of the action. Production designer Dan Leigh, with set decorator Susan Bode and art director C.J. Simpson, does fantastic work with the look of the nightclub that Viggo owns as well as the other places as well along with the look of Wick‘s home. Costume designer Luca Mosca does wonderful work with the costumes from the suits the men wear to the look of a female assassin Wick doesn’t like.
Visual effects supervisor Jake Braver does terrific work with some of the visual effects where it has elements of set-dressing as well as moments for the film‘s intense and elaborate action scenes. Sound designer Alan Rankin and sound editor Mark Stoeckinger do amazing work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations and the impact of the violence that adds to the intensity of the film. The film’s music by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richards, with additional work from Scott Tixler, is superb for its mixture of eerie electronics with elements of hip-hop rhythms that play into the world of crime while music supervisor John Houlihan brings in a soundtrack that features a mixture of music from hip-hop and rock from T-Bo, the Candy Shop Boys, and Marilyn Manson.
The casting by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith is incredible as it features some small yet notable appearances from David Patrick Kelly as an old cleaner friend of Wick, Randall Duk Kim as a hotel doctor, Lance Reddick as a hotel concierge, Bridget Regan as a bar mistress in Addy whom Wick knows, Kevin Nash as a club bouncer who also knows Wick, Clarke Peters as a hotel neighbor that Wick knows, and Bridget Moynahan as Wick’s late wife Helen who largely appears in flashbacks yet has this unique presence that adds to Wick’s humanity. Other noteworthy small roles include Ian McShane in a superb performance as the hotel owner Winston whom Wick knows where he would give him some keen advice while John Leguizamo is excellent in his brief role as the chop-shop owner Aurelio who realizes what Iosef had done as he would later give Wick his car back knowing that the world is about to get fucked. Dean Winters is brilliant as Viggo’s right-hand man Avi who essentially handles all of the business as he becomes worried about what Wick will undo.
Adrianne Palicki is fantastic as the assassin Perkins as a woman that has a history with Wick as she has no qualms in killing him unaware that she is way in over her head as far as Wick is concerned. Alfie Allen is amazing as Iosev Tarasov as the son of a mob boss who thinks he’s tough when he’s really just a punk-ass spoiled little shit who has no idea of who Wick is. Willem Dafoe is phenomenal as Marcus as an old-school assassin who takes the contract offered by Viggo yet is sort of this guardian angel figure for Wick as he is also the man that helped him out of the world of crime. Michael Nyqvist is remarkable as Viggo Tarasov as a mob boss who realizes what his son has done where he tries to protect him while trying to protect his empire and deal with Wick personally. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in a spectacular performance as the titular character as a man who is consumed by grief and rage following the loss of his wife and dog as it’s a role where Reeves doesn’t need to say much as he allows his actions and quiet demeanor do a lot of the talking as it is one of career-defining performances.
John Wick is a sensational film from Chad Stahelski and David Leitch that features an incredible leading performance from Keanu Reeves. Armed with a fascinating premise, an amazing ensemble cast, and thrilling yet violent action sequences. It’s a film that manages to be more than just a neo-noir revenge thriller but also a study of grief and loss in the eyes of a man who was just regaining his humanity. In the end, John Wick is a rapturous and exhilarating film from Chad Stahelski and David Leitch.
Related: John Wick: Chapter 2 - John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum - John Wick: Chapter 4 - (Ballerina (2024 film))
David Leitch Films: Atomic Blonde - Deadpool 2 - (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) - (Bullet Train)
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