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.
