John Wick: Chapter 4

Note: This review contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 3.

Before John Wick: Chapter 3 (Chapter 3) had even released, development went underway for two sequels, Chapter 4 and 5, with the original intent to film both back-to-back. As production went on, however, notably without the involvement of series creator Derek Kolstad, the hypothetical fifth film was dropped in favor of just Chapter 4. Although it would miss its original 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would see the light of day in 2023 to critical acclaim and the highest box office for the series at $447.3 million (against a budget of $100 million). As this film would conclude John Wick’s story, at least at the time, it’s good to know that it ended with a bang. However, Chapter 4’s sheer length, clocking in at about 169 minutes (almost 3 hours), only highlights the issues I had with Chapter 3 even more.

Following the events of Chapter 3, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has recovered from his injuries and trained while hiding underground with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). When Wick kills the Elder (George Georgiou) in Morocco, the High Table responds by sending the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) after him. As John fights against the Marquis’ machinations, he finds himself against two assassins: an old friend, a blind assassin named Caine (Donnie Yen); and a mysterious bounty hunter known as Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson).

The Marquis sends an old friend after John Wick.

Like Chapter 3 before it, Chapter 4 has some incredible highs. The theme of consequences carries over really well into the arcs for John and the supporting characters, as well as the main antagonist, in a way that remains consistent with the rest of the series. The new characters are well-written and have some great moments with John, with intriguing dynamics either informed by some prior history, as with Caine, or altered based on how they interact with him, as with Mr. Nobody. There’s even a game of poker that highlights the different philosophies between the assassins. Although John struggles during his journey, he gives the audience some incredible moments of catharsis from beginning to end.

Those who enjoy the world of John Wick may also find the worldbuilding rather interesting. We don’t learn too much more about the High Table, but the way the assassins make deals with them and each other solidifies the aspect of physical commitment seen in Chapter 3. Be it sacrificing a finger (like in Assassin’s Creed) or branding, it’s clear that you’re in it for the long haul. One particularly interesting scene was a card-based method of determining the rules of an arranged duel, which had an inventive way of creating a tense negotiation.

It's also no surprise that the film does action very well. They clearly went through great lengths to make each scene feel unique from what came before, complete with great choreography and impressive camerawork. One fight that shows off Caine’s capabilities as a blind assassin has nice realistic touches while making him no less of a threat to his targets. One particularly impressive sequence involving flashy ammo not only incorporates a Spidercam, but showcases a lot of brilliant action in a single take. All of these scenes are underscored by a great soundtrack that highlights the right mood very well.

The Spidercam shots are impressive.

If I had one complaint, however, it would be the length. 169 minutes is hefty for an action movie, especially one that’s relatively light on story like Chapter 4. Although we get a lot more character interactions, not much really happens between the fewer but longer fights scenes that occasionally border on tedium. Plus, in the effort to one-up everything the previous films had done, they end up going a bit over the top and only highlight issues that carry over from Chapter 3, namely the lack of a timely reaction when more people die in public. I’m aware that they had already cut down the runtime from 225 minutes (nearly four hours), but some additional trimming wouldn’t have hurt.

I also had mixed feelings about the ending, though more about if affects future storytelling opportunities. Otherwise, it’s fitting for the themes of the film and has some proper foreshadowing.

If you’ve seen the first three John Wick films, there’s no real reason not to watch John Wick: Chapter 4. I only hope that a potential John Wick: Chapter 5 would consider a leaner approach.