In the decade since the first film redefined modern action cinema, the John Wick franchise has grown from a cult hit to a global phenomenon. Sequels, comics, and video games have expanded the lore of the Continental, high-table intrigue, and the relentless, gun-fu style that became its trademark. Yet, when the first major spinoff, Ballerina, arrived in 2025, its reception was notably muted. Critics offered mixed reviews, and its theatrical run was underwhelming. However, with its arrival on HBO Max, a reassessment is underway, revealing a film that is a far more worthy and compelling addition to the Wick universe than its initial metrics suggested.
The Legacy and Weight of the John Wick Name
The shadow cast by the core John Wick tetralogy is long and dark. Directed by Chad Stahelski and born from a story by Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, and Keanu Reeves, the first film was a sleeper hit that weaponized world-building and physical choreography into a potent new formula. Each sequel escalated the stakes, the mythology, and the sheer audacity of its action set pieces. By the time John Wick: Chapter 4 concluded, the series had set a bar for stylistic, world-connected action that few competitors could touch. This created a daunting challenge for any spinoff: how to exist within that established, beloved world while carving out its own identity.
Ballerina’s Place in the Continental Universe
Ballerina does not attempt to replicate the John Wick blueprint directly. Instead, it shifts perspective. The film follows Rooney, a young assassin trained in the brutal ballet academy glimpsed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, as she seeks vengeance for the murder of her family. This premise immediately differentiates it. Where John Wick’s journey was that of a legendary figure re-emerging from retirement, Rooney’s is a story of emergence and raw, unfinished skill. The tone is less about the weight of legacy and more about the fury of a promise unfulfilled. It explores a different corner of the High Table’s influence, one rooted in institutional training and the forging of weapons rather than the deployment of a master one.
A Distinct Cinematic Language and Pace
Critics who found Ballerina lacking often compared its action pacing directly to Stahelski’s meticulously constructed, long-take ballets. Ballerina employs a different rhythm. Its fight choreography, while exceptionally well-executed, often favors a more frenetic, desperate energy. The combat feels less like a masterful performance and more like a brutal struggle for survival, which narratively fits its protagonist’s journey. The film also spends more time in its dramatic moments, building the emotional foundation for Rooney’s quest in a way the Wick films often handled with succinct, visual shorthand. This narrative pacing was perhaps misinterpreted as a lag, rather than a deliberate choice to build character depth in a new lead.
The Critical and Commercial Disconnect
The aggregate Metacritic score for Ballerina placed it firmly in the “mixed or average” category. Box office returns were solid but unspectacular, especially when measured against the juggernaut performance of Chapter 4. Several factors contributed to this. Franchise fatigue for some audiences, high expectations set by the mainline films, and a marketing campaign that struggled to articulate the film’s unique angle within the universe all played a part. It was viewed through the lens of “Is it as good as John Wick?” rather than “What does it add to the John Wick world?”
What the Initial Metrics Overlooked
This is where the HBO Max viewing experience changes the calculus. Freed from the opening weekend hype and direct comparisons, Ballerina can be appreciated on its own terms. Viewers are discovering its strengths: a committed lead performance that anchors the emotional core, supporting turns from familiar franchise faces that enrich the lore without overshadowing the new story, and action sequences that are inventive within the franchise’s rules. The film’s production design and costuming, particularly in the ballet academy and its European locations, offer some of the most visually distinct aesthetics in the entire series. It expands the universe’s texture, showing that the world of assassins isn’t monolithic but varies by culture, training, and tradition.
Streaming as a Platform for Reappraisal
The history of cinema is filled with films that found their audience after their theatrical window closed. Streaming platforms like HBO Max democratize access and allow for word-of-mouth to build organically, without the pressure of a opening weekend verdict. For a film like Ballerina, which serves as both a continuation and a divergence, this environment is ideal. Fans can pause, rewatch intricate fight scenes, and digest the lore connections at their own pace. This has led to a growing online discourse that highlights the film’s merits—its world-building, its character arc, and its successful execution of a familiar theme (vengeance) through a fresh protagonist’s eyes.
Why John Wick Fans Should Revisit Ballerina
For devotees of the Continental, the Adjudicators, and the rules of confrontation, Ballerina is not an optional side quest. It is essential viewing. It answers questions about the training grounds of assassins and introduces new factions and loyalties that could play significant roles in future installments. The film’s events are chronologically set between the third and fourth John Wick films, adding context to the evolving chaos in that world. More importantly, it proves the franchise’s viability beyond its titular hero. The strength of the John Wick universe was always in its details—the coins, the markers, the somber professionalism of its inhabitants. Ballerina thrives in those details, treating them with the same reverence while painting on a slightly different, but equally compelling, canvas.
The Future of the Franchise and Ballerina’s Role
With an AAA video game, a television series, and more films in development, the John Wick universe is poised for further expansion. The performance of Ballerina on HBO Max will undoubtedly be a metric studied by Lionsgate and the creative team. Strong streaming numbers and renewed fan engagement send a clear message: there is an appetite for stories that honor the core aesthetic but are brave enough to follow new characters and rhythms. A successful reappraisal of Ballerina could greenlight more spinoffs, exploring other continents, other schools, and other legends lurking in the shadows of the High Table. It validates the universe as a true shared world, not a single-character vehicle.
Ultimately, Ballerina’s journey from theatrical underperformer to streaming sleeper hit is a lesson in context. Some films are built for the immersive, big-screen spectacle, while others find their strength in intimate, repeatable viewing. Its value to the John Wick saga is now becoming clear to the fans who matter most—the audience at home, who can now judge it not as a box office report, but as the next chapter in a world they love. It stands as a testament to the idea that a franchise’s true richness isn’t just in its peaks, but in the depth and variety of the stories it can sustain between them.
