A neo-noir tale of revenge that spawned three sequels has now arrived on Amazon Prime Video.
With a plot influenced by Aliens (1986), Predator (1987) and Die Hard (1988) and tone inspired by cultural touchstones from Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin to Rick and Morty and SpongeBob Squarepants – all according to screenwriter Derek Kolstad – the first John Wick film (2014) sees a retired hitman (Keanu Reeves) forced back into the criminal underworld after his beloved wife Helen dies.
In the aftermath of her passing, Mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John’s prized car and kill a puppy that was a gift from Helen.
This act ignites John’s dormant killing instincts, and he begins a relentless campaign of violence against the mob, including Iosef’s father, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist).
John re-enters the world of assassins and crime bosses, navigating a dangerous world with its own rules and customs, including the Continental Hotel, a safe haven for assassins.
John’s actions end up putting a bounty on his head, forcing him to fight for his survival while seeking vengeance.
Despite initial distribution hardships, John Wick got positive box office figures and was well received by critics worldwide, who mainly commend Keanu Reeves’ performance and the “well-executed” action scenes.
On reviewing platform Rotten Tomatoes, the film is rated a fresh 86%, and commenters spare no praise. “Fantastic movie and series. Fun, and they didn’t overdue it with the violent images (like they did in the equalizer series). I love original concepts and this movie is unapologetic in the world it creates”, one wrote.
Another chipped in: “Keanu Reeves makes this film one that you can re-watch over again. It started the franchise and is one of the best action films ever”.
“John Wick’s whole saga changed the action genre forever”, offered another fan. “From the revenge story starting from part 1 that amps up to a great conclusion in part 4, there is a whole lot of amazing choreographed action sequences, an amazing array of characters and of course, the brilliance of Keanu Reeves”.
The action flick gave way to three sequels: John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) – which doubled the box-office take of John Wick -, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) – which nearly quadrupled the earnings – and John Wick: Chapter 4 – the highest-grossing film in the series. A fifth instalment is in the works as of 2025.
John Wick (2014) is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.