The John Wick franchise continues with Ballerina, a spin-off starring Ana de Armas as an assassin out for revenge, and the first social media reactions to the upcoming action movie are mostly positive. Ballerina takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4 and features appearances from Keanu Reeves and other actors from the main series. If you’re interested in a great script, you might be disappointed, but the action does the franchise justice, as does de Armas in the title role.
Here’s what critics are saying about Ballerina:
Ballerina: From the World of John Wick is everything you could wish for. The best movie of the year.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net
Ballerina is everything I hoped for. It is brutal, beautiful, and bursting with emotion.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Ballerina is awesome!
— Mike Manalo, The Nerds of Color
I really dug Ballerina!
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
Ballerina is so hilariously over the top, I laughed through the whole thing, for better and worse.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
If all you want is to see Ana de Armas kill enough assassins to fill a small European village, then Ballerina is a bloody badass good time.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Ballerina is hands down one of the top three in the John Wick franchise!
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds
It doesn’t reach the heights of John Wick 1-4, but when it cooks, it sets the screen on fire!
— Mike Manalo, The Nerds of Color
Some of the kills are flat out insane and rival that of previous John Wick films.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Ballerina is actually a solid addition to the John Wick franchise.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network
It honors what came before while boldly expanding the John Wick universe.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Ballerina expands the world of John Wick with absolutely stunning backdrops, an exciting and gripping vengeful story of consequences, and a heavy arsenal of creative weapon choices and quick-witted resourcefulness.
— Nadya Martinez, GothamGeekGirl
A worthy addition to the John Wick franchise. More please!
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
[It’s an] imperfect but worthy installment to the world of Wick.
— Mike Manalo, The Nerds of Color
The movie, flawed as it may be, will make most John Wick fans happy.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
As intense and inventive as you’d expect from the John Wick franchise.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
The action’s brutal and relentless!
— Mike Manalo, The Nerds of Color
It’s propulsive, has wild action.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
There are some truly incredible fight sequences in Ballerina that are a blast to watch.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Slickly choreographed action which has lots of variety – Grenades! Flamethrowers! Roller skates!
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
The gritty spinoff Ballerina is loaded with non-stop adrenaline-filled action sequences flaunting inventive weapons like skates to the face, violent sword/ gun-play combat and highly intense off the wall crowd-pleasing explosive action.
— Nadya Martinez, GothamGeekGirl
Absolute mayhem from start to finish. Mind-blowing fight scenes, phenomenally choreographed and staged… incredible stunts and improvised weapons, from flame throwers to grenades to ice skates. You have to see it to believe it.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net
The action doesn’t stop until the credits roll!… The incredible fight sequences stole the show!
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds
Admittedly, the story is a little shallow.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
The plot, unfortunately, does it no favors.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
A painfully boring story that holds it back.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
[It’s] a simple revenge story.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net
The sets are elegant and gorgeous.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Keanu Reeves is always captivating during action sequences!
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
When Keanu shows up? Pure GOOSEBUMPS.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Love how the film didn’t need Keanu to carry it; it was a force on its own.
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds
John Wick’s inclusion hurts the movie… which sucks.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
Ana de Armas is a true action star.
— Germain Lussier, io9.com
Ana de Armas is an action hero for the ages.
— Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net
Ana de Armas proves she can scrap with the best of them.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine
[It’s] a good star vehicle for Ana de Armas, who is a born movie star.
— Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network
De Armas is terrific, and I can’t wait to be seeing more of Eve soon!
— Mike Manalo, The Nerds of Color
Ana de Armis kicks serious butt, and I hope we get to see more of her.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
Ana de Armas is fierce, lighting up the screen with deadly elegance and stunning choreography.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Ana De Armas is THAT girl!
— Chalice Williams, Black Girl Nerds
It’s great to see Gabriel Byrne back playing a ruthlessly heartless villain.
— Chris Killian, ComicBook.com
Seeing Lance Reddick again hits hard.
— Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
Ballerina opens in theaters on June 6, 2025.
