John Wick

John Wick follows a retired assassin who had tried to leave violence behind after marrying and settling into a quiet life. When a small, personal crime shatters that peace, the ex-hitman pulls his old skills back into play and begins closing in on those responsible. He methodically tracks a series of criminals linked to a powerful gang, moving through hidden networks of assassins and safe houses. Along the way he reconnects with former allies and enemies, and each confrontation escalates the stakes. The film stays focused on his single-minded quest for retribution while revealing a hidden system of rules and debts that governs the criminal world he once inhabited. His hunt also carries an undercurrent of personal loss and isolation.

Released in 2014, John Wick was directed by Chad Stahelski from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad. Keanu Reeves stars as the title character, with a lean, stylized approach to action that marked a fresh direction, and stylish, practical stunt work.

The film performed strongly at the box office, earning enough commercial success to justify sequels and build a franchise, turning a modest production into a long-running action property, finding strong international audiences and solid home entertainment sales in subsequent years.

John Wick reshaped modern action with its choreographed gunplay and close-quarters fight work, while its stylized worldbuilding and visual palette inspired filmmakers and fans. It helped revive Keanu Reeves' cultural profile and spawned widespread online fandom. It set expectations for realism in fight staging and influenced video games and advertising.

Critics and audiences noted the film's precise action choreography and Reeves' focused performance, a combination reflected in a 7.454/10 user vote average. Reviewers pointed out themes of grief, revenge, loyalty, and the strict moral codes that govern the film's criminal underworld. Reviewers highlighted economical storytelling and controlled, spare pacing overall.