Ana de Armas dances with death in John Wick spinoff
LOS ANGELES
Ana de Armas proves to be more effective at killing than ballet in “Ballerina,” the newest entry in the John Wick universe. Set in a snowy Austrian town where everyone seems to be an assassin, the film opens with dark humor and surprising levity, including a plate-smashing fight with a waitress-turned-killer, before sliding into the expected body count escalation.
“Ballerina” takes place during the timeline of “John Wick: Chapter 3,” ignoring events from the fourth film. Ana de Armas plays Eve, who once appeared briefly in the third film during a failed ballet attempt. Despite years of training, Eve still falls during basic ballet turns, a curious detail considering she later executes high-level assassination moves with apparent ease.
The story traces Eve’s transformation. After witnessing her father’s murder by black-clad assassins, she is taken by “Winston” (Ian McShane) to “The Director” (Anjelica Huston) of the Ruska Roma — the crime syndicate where John Wick trained. Years later, Eve is determined to avenge her father’s death, even if she still can’t pull off a fouetté.
A pivotal moment comes when John Wick (Keanu Reeves) visits the academy. Eve asks how to follow his path. He tells her the door is open — she can still choose another life. But unlike Wick, who constantly seeks escape, Eve wants in. Her quest leads her to Hallstatt, a beautiful yet deadly village where the “Chancellor” (Gabriel Byrne) — her father's killer — commands an army of assassins who are now after her.
Eve must rely on lessons from her training: “fight like a girl” — using creativity and intelligence rather than brute force. This culminates in her growing comfort with increasingly inventive weapons, including a flamethrower, as she takes on the Chancellor’s forces.
While the movie has its moments of fun and flair — especially in its early Austrian sequences — it ultimately adheres to the franchise’s familiar formula: stylized violence, endless enemies, and brief but electric appearances by Wick. Audiences cheered every one of Reeves’ lines, but it’s Eve’s journey that drives this spin-off, blending ballet dreams with brutal reality.
