Director: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Ian McShane
Run Time: 169 mins

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the latest in the action series that’s breathed new life into Keanu Reeves’ career. The thrilling original spawned an unintentional series that has become more popular with each entry. Chapter 4 picks up immediately after the close of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum which saw Wick join forces with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) to enact vengeance against the High Table, a council of twelve crime lords that govern the assassins’ world.  

Former stuntman turned director Chad Stahelski is at the helm again and has proven an expert hand at crafting action sequences. Each entry in the series has proven an antidote to the quick-cut fights that plague many films, whereas Stahelski likes to hold onto a shot and the choreography is almost balletic. It’s been refreshing seeing Stahelski trying to continuously top himself with each John Wick entry. Chapter 3 – Parabellum, in particular, wowed with its sheer variety in the first half of the film. The first remains my favourite of the series and rewatching it just before this new entry was quite eye-opening for its decidedly smaller scale. 

John Wick: Chapter 4 is yet another strong entry in the series and its second half is particularly impressive, especially considering the intimidating 169 minute run time. It tells a clear and coherent story and there are real, life-threatening stakes for the characters. The film feels like a sprawling, ultra-violent James Bond film on steroids and mostly earns its length. As you’d expect, Chapter 4 sports some truly mesmerising action sequences that are straight up there as some of the best in the series and a model for action cinema in general. 

If I’m being picky, the first half could have a 20 minute chop and that would make for a tighter film but once the action reaches Paris, it rip-roars its way to the end with breathtaking action sequence after action sequence. 

Keanu Reeves once again turns in an excellent performance as the titular character. Although he doesn’t have many lines in the film, Reeves is totally convincing in his suicidal mission to dispatch as many High Table subordinates as possible. Both Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne turn in reliably fun performances and it was rather poignant to see the late Lance Reddick who died shortly before this film’s release return with a memorable and heartfelt final performance. 

Bill Skarsgård makes for what is probably the most formidable villain of the series to date and Donnie Yen is clearly having fun as a likeable old friend of Wick, who is forced out of retirement to kill him. Hiroyuki Sanada is also excellent as the Osaka Continental Hotel in Japanese and Scott Adkins is another highlight as a Russian mafia crime lord. Adkins is best known for playing intimidating henchmen but here, he plays against type as he wears a fat suit and isn’t as energetic. 

Returning cinematographer Dan Laustsen’s work is once again superb, an overhead tracking shot in an apartment mesmeric. This is definitely the best looking John Wick film. Elsewhere, the duo of Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard once again turn in a terrific score, revisiting some old themes while introducing some new ones.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is a fantastic sequel and a genre-defining film for action cinema. It’s a globe-trotting stunt showcase from beginning to end that mostly earns its length and its second half is a tour-de-force. It’s certainly the best sequel of the franchise, although I’m not sure if it betters the original. It’s rare to see a series improve with each entry, although Chapter 4 ends on a fitting note and I hope Stahelski and Reeves aren’t tempted to risk making another. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)