John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014), directed by Chad Stahelski, is a stylized neo-noir action thriller that introduces audiences to a deadly assassin pulled out of retirement by a personal tragedy. The film stars Keanu Reeves as the titular character, a legendary hitman once known as “Baba Yaga” — the boogeyman — or, more accurately, the man you send to kill the boogeyman.
The story begins shortly after the death of John’s beloved wife, Helen, who succumbed to an illness. Knowing John would be devastated and alone, Helen arranged for a final gift: a beagle puppy named Daisy, delivered to John after her funeral. The dog becomes a symbol of hope and healing for John as he grieves.
However, peace is violently shattered when a group of Russian gangsters, led by Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), break into John’s home to steal his prized 1969 Mustang. When John refuses to sell it, they assault him, kill Daisy, and steal the car. What Iosef doesn’t know is that John Wick is a retired assassin with an unmatched reputation for precision, relentlessness, and brutality.
Iosef’s father, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), a powerful Russian crime lord and John’s former employer, knows exactly who John is. He warns his son that killing John Wick’s dog was a fatal mistake. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Viggo tries to stop John by sending wave after wave of assassins and bodyguards. But John, driven by grief and vengeance, methodically takes them down.
John seeks help from old acquaintances, including Charon (Lance Reddick), the concierge of the Continental Hotel — a sanctuary for assassins — and Marcus (Willem Dafoe), a fellow hitman and friend. As John tears through Viggo’s forces in a series of stylish and brutal confrontations, he also battles his own emotional scars.
In a climactic showdown, John confronts and kills Iosef. Viggo retaliates by betraying Marcus and eventually goes after John himself. The final battle sees John wounded but victorious after killing Viggo in a rain-soaked dockyard fight.
The film ends with John breaking into a veterinary clinic to treat his injuries and adopting a pit bull puppy, symbolizing a fragile but possible new beginning.
John Wick revitalized the action genre with its sleek direction, choreographed “gun-fu” combat, and mythic world-building, introducing a fascinating criminal underworld where honor and codes are everything — and vengeance is absolute.
