Ballerina
2025 · Directed by Len Wiseman
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
- crime
The story
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Eve Macarro begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
What it’s like
Saturated, high-contrast night in cold blues and sodium orange, with a glossy digital sheen and sharp, choreographed camera work that favours wide, legible takes of bodies moving through stone halls, snowy Alpine villages and candlelit monastic rooms. Its action is operatic and relentless: stylised gunfire and hand-to-hand combat, grenades and flamethrowers, with the violence often brutal and bloody, and the fire and smoke given loving close attention. Sound design leans on heavy percussion, pounding synth and thudding impacts, with quieter moments of sung folk melody and stillness between set pieces. The vibe is hard-edged and propulsive, a revenge-tinged thrill ride with a streak of grief underneath, best suited to a late-night watch with the lights low and the volume up. Pacing is brisk and escalating, and the central arc follows a young woman hardening through punishing training toward vengeance. Intensity is high: frequent graphic violence, gunfire, burning and some cruelty, though the tone stays theatrical rather than grim. Made for fans of the John Wick world who want stylish, violent action with a female lead.
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