John Wick: Chapter 4 Movie Review

The John Wick franchise has become one of the biggest franchises of the past decade. The first film was a moderate success, bringing in a total of $86 million at the global box office. As I write this review, John Wick: Chapter 4, has grossed a whopping $428 million at the worldwide box office, with $188 million in the United States of America alone. The sheer commercial and critical success of the franchise is astounding. Keanu Reeves once again, after a decade of misses and financial disappointments at the box office, finds himself king of the box office. After a 4-year hiatus, John Wick returned in 2023 with John Wick: Chapter 4, the film sees Keanu Reeves once again reprises his role as the title character, as he punches, kicks, shoots, and wrestles his way to freedom, as he finally may have found a way to the chair of the high table. I am a huge fan of what Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have done with this franchise and I think it's safe to say that John Wick: Chapter 4, may just be the best entry in the franchise so far.

I have honestly loved each of the previous instalments of this unsuspecting action franchise, but Chapter 4 feels like it is in its own league. Yeah, it’s that good. If you have an idea in your head of what you would like to see in a John Wick action film, chances are you will find it here. If you want car chases, this film has them. If you want fist fights, this film has them. If you want gun battles, you better believe this film has them. You name it, it happens in this film, and without ever feeling repetitive, tired, or boring. The film has a whopping runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes, and not once did I look at my watch. It flies by at a rapid pace, barely giving the audience a chance to breathe between action sequences. It's all so well put together and a lot of this has to do with former stuntman of Keanu Reeves turned director Chad Stahelski’s superb direction. Coming from a stun background, Stahelski knows exactly where to put the camera and how to use it effectively during an action set-piece. The audience is always in the thick of it and amongst the action, the way it should be when watching an action film.

A huge part of why this franchise works so well is the casting of Keanu Reeves in the title role as John Wick. Keanu’s acting chops have been called into question many times before, but here, the role of John Wick doesn’t require him to deliver a tour de force performance but rather a demanding, physical performance. Keanu's ability to sell action sequences is the reason why he is an action star still well into his 50s. Keanu sells every punch, every kick and every brutal beating he endures throughout John Wick: Chapter 4, making the audience believe every single sequence, to nail biting effect. His dedication to his craft is admirable and this adds to the overall experience for the audience as well during the film. If any other actor was in this title role, there is no way it would be as entertaining. With Keanu as the lead, this has also led to the casting of greats in the genre, including Scott Adkins, who has done a lot of his work in Hollywood as a stunt performer, but here, he is given a chance to shine as one of the film's henchmen. Hiroyuki Sanada also turns up for a memorable sequence in Tokyo as Shimazu, the manager or Winston of the Continental in Tokyo. And of course, Donnie Yen, the martial arts legend from the IP Man films, plays Caine, one of the main performers of the latest chapter in the John Wick story. The film also sees the return of Ian McShane as Winston, the late, great Lance Reddick as Charon, Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King and newcomers, Clancy Brown as the harbinger, Bill Skarsgard as the film’s main antagonist, Marquis, and Shamier Anderson as the Tracker. The cast are all fantastic and utilised superbly.

As mentioned, the action is truly phenomenal. There are so many amazing sequences in the film it's really hard to choose a favourite. Some of the standouts include an epic fight sequence with hoards of assassins at the world-famous Arc de Triomphe roundabout in Paris, France, where Mr Wick must fight for his life. This isn’t the only time in the film where he must do that. Another sequence sees Mr Wick enter a house, going from floor-to-floor dispatching bad guys and probably the most bad arse and memorable sequence in the film would have to be the epic Staircase sequence, that sees Mr Wick fight his way to the top, only to topple back down to the bottom, to then repeat the climb again but this time with Donnie Yen’s Caine. Its truly epic and memorable. The film then finishes with a stand-off, which is the perfect way to finish the film after 2 hours and 40 minutes of pure carnage. It's every action fan’s fantasy is played out on the big screen.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's fast paced, it's epic, it's big and it's oh so satisfying. Keanu Reeves kills it (quite literally) once again as John Wick, showcasing just why he is the man. It is going to be hard for any other action film this year, or even the next 10 years, to live up to what this film has managed to do in the action genre. It really is that good. Make sure you secure your copy of John Wick: Chapter 4 and the previous instalments of the film today on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K Ultra HD. You won’t want to miss out on this one. You can shop all things John Wick below.

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here