Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
John Wick 4 is a masterclass in action cinematography — the top-down Paris staircase sequence, the Arc de Triomphe roundabout, and the Osaka Continental setpieces are among the most visually inventive action filmmaking of the decade, earning a clear 4. The ending (the dawn duel on Sacré-Cœur steps and its aftermath) lands with genuine emotional weight and finality, also earning a 4. The plot is functional but largely a vehicle — globe-trotting escalation with a thin connective tissue of lore, settling at a 3. Acting is committed across the board (Donnie Yen is a highlight) but none of the performances are transformative, sitting at 3. Novelty is above average — the film perfects and expands its own hyper-stylized neo-noir action language, but it remains the fourth entry in an established formula, so a 3 is appropriate rather than a 4.