Set in the same deadly underworld as John Wick, Ballerina introduces us to Eve Macarro — a trained dancer who turns her grace into raw power after her family is murdered. Played by Ana de Armas, Eve’s journey from ballet stage to battlefield is as emotional as it is explosive.
The film takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, but you don’t need to be a diehard fan to follow along. Director Len Wiseman and writer Shay Hatten build a story that stands on its own.
We follow Eve as she returns to the place that raised her — a ballet school run by assassins — and sets out to find answers and revenge.
What sets Ballerina apart isn’t just the action (though there’s plenty of that). It’s the emotion behind it.
Ana de Armas gives Eve a quiet intensity. She’s not trying to be the toughest person in the room — she already is. But she’s also broken, grieving, and trying to stay human in a world that demands violence.
The action scenes are wild and often beautifully staged. There’s a fight in the snow-covered Austrian town of Hallstatt that feels like a mix of a dream and a nightmare.
There’s another sequence where Eve uses a flamethrower inside a gun store. It sounds over-the-top, but it works, because the film leans into its style without losing focus.
Of course, Ballerina shares a lot with the John Wick films — secret societies, gold coins, slick hotels, and stylish violence. But Eve is not a copy of Wick. Her pain feels more personal. Her rage is quieter but just as fierce. And unlike Wick, who seems like a myth, Eve still feels real.
Keanu Reeves makes a brief but solid appearance, and so do familiar faces like Ian McShane. But make no mistake — this is Eve’s story, and Ana de Armas owns every second of it.
The story itself is fairly simple: revenge, loss, and the search for truth. But it’s told with heart, and by the time the film reaches its intense final act, you’re fully in Eve’s corner.
Ballerina may not be the deepest film of the year, but it’s bold, beautiful, and full of emotion. It proves that the John Wick universe still has room to grow — especially when it hands the spotlight to someone new.
Ballerina dances between pain and power, showing that grace can be just as deadly as grit. A thrilling, emotional spin-off that gives Ana de Armas the lead role she deserves.