Ballerina (2025) Movie Review

Ana de Armas Takes Center Stage in a Deadly Dance of Vengeance

The John Wick universe expands its reach with Ballerina, a stylish and brutal spin-off that proves this franchise has much more to offer beyond Keanu Reeves’ stoic assassin. Directed by Len Wiseman and starring Ana de Armas, this action-packed thriller delivers exactly what fans expect while carving out its own distinctive identity in the blood-soaked corridors of the Continental Hotel.

Plot and Story Structure

Ballerina unfolds as a revenge tale wrapped in the familiar trappings of the John Wick universe. Set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a ballerina turned assassin who seeks vengeance against those responsible for her father’s brutal murder.

The story begins with a haunting prologue that establishes Eve’s tragic backstory. As the daughter of assassins—her father Javier belonging to the Ruska Roma and her mother to a dangerous cult—Eve’s life is marked by violence from the very beginning. When the cult’s leader, known as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne), orchestrates an assault that kills her father, Eve’s path toward becoming a lethal ballerina assassin becomes inevitable.

Key Plot Points:

• Eve’s training under the Ruska Roma organization of ballerina assassins • Her quest to infiltrate and destroy the Chancellor’s cult • The intervention of John Wick himself as Eve’s activities become too high-profile • A climactic showdown in a wintry European mountain village

The narrative structure is refreshingly straightforward, avoiding the complex mythology that sometimes weighs down franchise entries. While the plot may seem familiar—essentially a revenge story we’ve seen countless times—the execution and Ballerina-specific elements make it feel fresh within this universe.

Ana de Armas: A Star-Making Performance

Ana de Armas proves she’s more than capable of carrying an action franchise on her shoulders. Her portrayal of Eve Macarro is a masterclass in balancing vulnerability with lethal precision. Unlike John Wick’s zen-like calm, Eve wears her emotions more openly, making her both more relatable and unpredictable.

De Armas brings several crucial elements to the role:

• Physical prowess: Her extensive training shows in every fight sequence • Emotional depth: She conveys Eve’s trauma and determination with subtle nuance • Magnetic screen presence: Commands attention in both quiet character moments and explosive action scenes • Authentic vulnerability: Unlike invincible action heroes, Eve feels genuinely human and fallible

The actress’s previous work in films like No Time to Die hinted at her action potential, but Ballerina fully realizes it. She transforms from graceful dancer to ruthless killer with convincing authenticity, making every punch, kick, and gunshot feel earned rather than choreographed.

Supporting Cast Excellence

The supporting cast delivers uniformly strong performances that enrich the Ballerina experience:

Gabriel Byrne as the Chancellor provides a compelling antagonist, though some critics noted his character could have been given more screen time to fully develop his menacing presence. His portrayal of the cult leader balances intellectual calculation with underlying brutality.

Norman Reedus appears as Daniel Pine, an assassin and the Chancellor’s son attempting to escape the cult. Reedus brings his trademark intensity to the role, creating interesting dynamics as someone caught between family loyalty and moral awakening. The actor noted the contrast between the “tightly choreographed fight scenes” in Ballerina compared to his work on The Walking Dead.

Anjelica Huston returns as the Director of the Ruska Roma, lending gravitas and continuity to the franchise. Her scenes with de Armas crackle with tension and mentorship dynamics.

Lance Reddick makes his final appearance as Charon, the beloved Continental Hotel concierge. His posthumous performance serves as a touching farewell to both the character and the actor who brought him to life.

The returning John Wick universe veterans—Ian McShane as Winston Scott and Keanu Reeves as John Wick himself—provide exactly the right amount of franchise connectivity without overshadowing the new story.

Action and Choreography: Fighting Like a Girl

The action sequences in Ballerina represent both continuity with and evolution of the John Wick formula. Director Len Wiseman, working closely with franchise producer Chad Stahelski, creates fight scenes that feel distinctly feminine while maintaining the brutal efficiency fans expect.

Distinctive Combat Style

The film’s central philosophy revolves around the advice Eve receives: “Fight like a girl.” Rather than being a limitation, this becomes her greatest strength. Eve’s combat style differs significantly from John Wick’s surgical precision:

• Unpredictability over perfection: Eve’s fighting is scrappier and more improvisational • Environmental creativity: She weaponizes everything from kitchen utensils to ice skates • Agility-focused: Emphasis on using opponents’ weight against them • Diverse weapon usage: Grenades, flamethrowers, and unconventional tools

Standout Action Sequences

Kitchen Combat: One of the film’s most memorable scenes takes place in a restaurant kitchen, where Eve turns cooking implements into deadly weapons. The sequence showcases both creativity and visceral impact.

Ice Rink Showdown: A brilliantly conceived sequence where ice skates become slicing weapons, demonstrating the film’s commitment to inventive action design.

Mountain Village Finale: The climactic battle in a snow-covered European village provides a stunning backdrop for the Ballerina‘s final confrontation with the cult.

The action cinematography, helmed by DP Romain Lacourbas, maintains the franchise’s signature style while allowing for more frenetic editing that matches Eve’s less controlled fighting approach.

Visual Style and Production Design

Ballerina maintains the John Wick universe’s distinctive visual language while introducing its own aesthetic elements. The production design cleverly incorporates dance and performance motifs throughout, from the Ruska Roma’s training facilities to the cult’s mountain stronghold.

Visual Highlights:

• Elegant brutality: Fight scenes maintain balletic grace even at their most violent • Color palette: Rich, moody lighting that emphasizes both beauty and danger • Location diversity: From urban Continental Hotels to remote mountain villages • Costume design: Eve’s transformation from tutu-wearing dancer to tactical assassin

The film successfully creates spaces that feel both familiar to franchise fans and fresh enough to justify their own story. The mountain village setting, in particular, provides a fairy-tale-like backdrop that contrasts beautifully with the violence unfolding within it.

Direction and Technical Craft

Len Wiseman brings his action expertise (Live Free or Die Hard, Underworld series) to bear on Ballerina, creating a film that respects franchise traditions while establishing its own identity. His direction emphasizes character moments between action sequences, ensuring audiences invest in Eve’s journey.

Technical Achievements:

• Editing: Jason Ballantine’s work creates a more frenetic pace that suits Eve’s fighting style • Sound design: Maintains the franchise’s signature weapon sounds and impact effects • Score: Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard provide music that blends franchise familiarity with new themes • Stunt coordination: Builds upon the franchise’s reputation for practical effects and real choreography

The film benefits from extensive reshoots supervised by Chad Stahelski, which clearly improved the action sequences and overall flow. While delays and reshoots often signal problems, in Ballerina‘s case, they seem to have enhanced the final product.

Franchise Integration and World-Building

Ballerina succeeds in expanding the John Wick universe without feeling like a cash grab or unnecessary addition. The film smartly positions itself within established continuity while introducing new elements that feel organic to the world.

Successful Universe Expansion:

• Timeline placement: Set between existing films, allowing for meaningful character appearances • New organizations: The cult provides fresh antagonists beyond the High Table • Character connections: Eve’s background ties naturally into established lore • Future potential: Sets up possible sequels without feeling forced

The appearance of John Wick himself is perfectly calibrated—significant enough to satisfy fans but brief enough to keep focus on Eve’s story. When he tells her “Looks like you already have” in response to her question about how to start doing what he does, it serves as both franchise validation and character recognition.

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Themes and Subtext

Beneath the stylized violence, Ballerina explores several meaningful themes:

Female Empowerment: The “fight like a girl” philosophy becomes a celebration of feminine strength rather than a limitation. Eve doesn’t try to become John Wick; she becomes something uniquely her own.

Family Legacy: Eve’s relationship with her parents’ violent past and her choice to embrace rather than escape it provides emotional weight to the action.

Mentorship and Training: The relationship between Eve and her various mentors (the Director, Winston, even John Wick) explores how knowledge and violence are passed between generations.

Revenge vs. Justice: Like all entries in this franchise, Ballerina examines whether vengeance can ever truly provide closure or if it simply perpetuates cycles of violence.

Box Office Performance and Reception

Ballerina opened with a domestic box office total of $24.5 million, which was considered underwhelming by industry standards. The film faced several challenges that likely impacted its commercial performance:

Box Office Challenges:

• Production delays: Reshoots and release date changes created negative perception • Franchise fatigue: Coming after four John Wick films in a decade • Competition: Faced strong competition from other major releases • Marketing timing: Promotional campaign had to navigate around production changes

Despite the modest opening, Ballerina earned strong critical and audience scores: • Rotten Tomatoes: 76% critics score, indicating generally positive reviews • CinemaScore: A- from audiences • PostTrak: 87% positive score with 79% recommending to others

The film is expected to surpass the original John Wick‘s $43 million domestic total, suggesting it may find its audience over time, similar to how the original film built momentum through word-of-mouth and home video sales.

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Strengths and Achievements

Ballerina succeeds on multiple levels:

Major Strengths:

• Ana de Armas: Delivers a star-making performance that anchors the entire film • Action choreography: Creative and brutal fight sequences that feel fresh • World-building: Expands the universe naturally without feeling forced • Visual style: Maintains franchise aesthetics while adding unique elements • Character development: Eve feels like a complete character, not just an action figure • Franchise integration: Balances new story with familiar elements perfectly

The film proves that the John Wick universe has room for different perspectives and approaches while maintaining the core elements that made the original films successful.

Areas for Improvement

While Ballerina largely succeeds, some elements could have been stronger:

Notable Weaknesses:

• Villain development: Gabriel Byrne’s Chancellor could have been given more screen time • Pacing issues: The first act takes time to find its rhythm • Plot predictability: The revenge structure offers few surprises • Supporting character depth: Some cult members feel underdeveloped • Tonal consistency: Occasional shifts between gritty realism and video game-like action

These issues don’t derail the film but represent missed opportunities to elevate it from good to great.

Cultural Impact and Significance

Ballerina arrives at an interesting moment for action cinema, where audiences increasingly expect diverse protagonists and fresh perspectives on familiar formulas. The film’s success in creating a compelling female action hero within an established male-dominated franchise demonstrates the potential for inclusive storytelling without sacrificing the elements that make these films appealing.

The “fight like a girl” philosophy has already begun influencing discussions about representation in action cinema, suggesting that Ballerina may have cultural impact beyond its immediate box office performance.

Future Franchise Potential

The film’s ending clearly sets up potential sequels, and Ana de Armas has expressed interest in returning to the role. Given the positive critical reception and strong audience response, Ballerina sequels seem likely, especially as the character has carved out her own space within the larger universe.

Sequel Possibilities:

• Eve’s continued evolution as an assassin • Exploration of other Ruska Roma ballerina assassins • Further expansion of the cult storyline • Potential crossover opportunities with other franchise characters

The groundwork laid in Ballerina provides numerous directions for future stories while maintaining connection to the larger John Wick universe.

Conclusion

Ballerina proves that the John Wick universe has room for new voices and perspectives while maintaining the brutal elegance that defines the franchise. Ana de Armas delivers a performance that justifies the entire spin-off concept, creating a character who feels both part of the established world and uniquely her own.

While the film doesn’t reinvent the action genre, it demonstrates how familiar formulas can feel fresh with the right execution and compelling characters. The ballerina assassin concept works both literally and metaphorically, creating a fighting style that’s distinctly feminine without sacrificing intensity or impact.

Final Verdict: Ballerina succeeds as both a worthy addition to the John Wick franchise and a showcase for Ana de Armas’s action star potential. Despite some pacing issues and predictable plotting, the film delivers the stylized violence and emotional stakes that fans expect while carving out space for future stories.

The movie serves as a strong foundation for franchise expansion and proves that ballerina assassins can be just as compelling as their male counterparts. For action fans and franchise enthusiasts, Ballerina offers exactly what it promises: elegance, brutality, and Ana de Armas kicking ass in style.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

Recommendation: Essential viewing for John Wick fans and action enthusiasts. Ballerina delivers on its promises while setting up an exciting future for the franchise.