‘Ballerina’ Review: Ana de Armas' Badass and Ultra-Violent Revenge Caper Is a John Wick Spinoff Done Right

Like those of the titular profession, Ballerina initially stumbles out of the gate — but once it finds its footing, each successive twirl unleashes a nonstop barrage of gloriously brutal violence and highly entertaining fight sequences worthy of its John Wick roots.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Image: Lionsgate

I’ll be honest — I’m relatively new to the world of John Wick. I only got around to watching the entire series this week, but I have to say: damn, do they live up to the hype.

So naturally, with the mainline John Wick movies still fresh in my mind, I was eager to dive into the franchise’s first spinoff, Ballerina. And having seen the film just a couple of days ago, I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.

Ballerina — which takes place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum but before Chapter 4 — follows ballerina-assassin Eve Macarro as she embarks on a bloody quest for vengeance, determined to take down those responsible for her father’s death.

In many ways, Ballerina is to John Wick what Furiosa is to Mad Max: a spinoff that follows the franchise’s tried-and-true formula while also expanding its world and mythology in compelling ways.

Of course, there will always be skeptics who try to dismiss this film as just a lazy, gender-swapped John Wick. But much like Furiosa, Ballerina more than earns its place in the canon — and proves that its lead character is more than capable of anchoring her own movie.

That’s thanks in large part to Ana de Armas’ incredibly committed performance. It’s no secret that she trained extensively for the role, and it absolutely shows. She kicks ass left and right, reportedly performing most of her own stunts, which is just awesome. While this isn’t the kind of film that allows her to showcase the full range we saw in Knives Out or Blonde, it firmly establishes her as a bona fide action star.

Then there are the phenomenal action sequences. One might assume it’d be impossible to top the ingenuity of John Wick 3 and 4, but Ballerina holds its own. The choreography is stylish, the set pieces are inventive, and scenes like the ice-skating brawl and the flamethrower battle are instant highlights.

That said, the film isn’t without flaws. The first act feels a bit underwhelming compared to the relentless momentum of its franchise siblings. While it effectively sets up the characters and story, it leans a bit too heavily on action-thriller tropes. But once the second act kicks in, the movie finds its rhythm and never looks back — delivering set piece after set piece that rivals, and in some ways even surpasses, the mainline Wick films.

Hence the 9.5 out of 10. As much as I wanted to give it a perfect score, I can’t ignore its early missteps. Still, Ballerina is one of the year’s most satisfying action thrillers — and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Ana de Armas’ deadly dancer.