Ballerina Movie Review: Elegance With a Killer Edge

The fierce Eve has impressed us, and her fluidity in the fight scenes has authenticated her as an action heroine for sure. And of course, how could we say no to Keanu Reeves- John Wick, the man himself!

Movie Insiderz presents you Ballerina movie review that helps you decide whether you should stream it or skip it.

Plot details of Ballerina (2025)

Ballerina’s story lies between the events of John Wick 3 and John Wick 4, the neo-noir action movie that shows Eve Macarro (played by Ana de Armas), whose father was killed when she was a child. 

She trains to become an assassin for revenge under Assassin Traditions of Ruska Roma, a highly influential organization in the world of John Wick. Keanu Reeves also appears in a cameo, Baba Yaga, who is one of the furious assassins in the said era. 

Watch the trailer here for a quick recap:

Actors’ performances in Ballerina

The director, Len Wiseman, clarified before Ballerina’s release that Eve Macarro is “not a female John Wick,” but the film’s action sequences certainly gave an impression. Ana de Armas has been fabulous in pulling off all the fight scenes smoothly, as if she were born for the role.

Even if it was about practising to become a Ballerina, she was strong, sturdy, steady, and maintained balance flawlessly. There wasn’t much need for emotional scenes, except one where she met her elder sister, who also belonged to the world of assassins but from the enemy’s side, who killed Eve’s father.

However, it was the scene where Eve was already drained of any emotions. She was only there for one purpose, which was to find the person responsible for murdering her father. Eve’s face showed little concern and more anger, showing a perfect portrayal for the thrilling sequence. 

Keanu Reeves was THE JOHN WICK, and needs no introduction. He was as graceful as well as intimidating as he has been in the rest of the John Wick films. Wick truly wanted Eve to go back and did not want to kill her at the end, for which he gave her the last few minutes to kill the murderer of her father. It was also about the little girl whose father was attacked in the same way.  

Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick were superb as well. Ian McShane was her guide, who wanted to protect Eve and helped her become stronger, giving her a chance to achieve what she was there for.  

How did Reddick make a comeback for Ballerina? As per Super Hero Hype, he passed away shortly before the release of John Wick, but when Ballerina started filming on November 7, 2022, he appeared for one last time for a few scenes. 

What do critics add to Ballerina movie review?

A positive critics consensus is seen on Rotten Tomatoes, which says, 

“Equipping a steely Ana de Armas with creatively brutal action choreography and a pleasingly kooky origin story, Ballerina pirouettes gracefully onto the Wickverse’s center stage.” [Source]

The critics cited that the plot was “thin,” but the body count was “heavy”. However, it doesn’t affect much the entertainment quotient of the film. The spin-off didn’t feel out of place and was perfectly inserted within the Wick-verse, as they said. 

Still, the overall aura of the film remains “forgettable,” but the carnage was still enjoyable, proving to be a solid addition to the Wick-world, having the ability to build slowly but never failing to charm. 

Fans reaction

Fans were head over heels for Keanu Reeves’ well-deserved cameo in the film and the powerful action sequences. Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes explains it all.

Some of them mentioned “weak writing and loose plot,” but overall, the movie was fun. They felt that it was less talking, which was great, and more about visuals, including action. 

Is it worth watching?

Yes, yes! Ana de Armas is as mesmerizing as she seemed in the trailer, and she has certainly lived up to our expectations. From the world of John Wick, she rises beautifully, even if it comes to dancing and killing, both delivered stunningly. 

While watching the high-octane showdown between Eve and John Wick, I couldn’t help but admire the precision in choreography. She makes it clear to anyone who tries to stop her that she will set the world on fire when it comes to avenging her dad’s enemies. She is angry, frustrated, dangerous, and equally vulnerable.  

 

 

 

 

 

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The beginning of the film might seem slow, but after half an hour or so, the film gains pace. The high-octane scenes with explosive actions do not let us blink for a second. The jaw-dropping stunts did justice to the film’s and franchise’s image.

It is a known fact that a spin-off has to be its own film, besides ticking all the boxes for the franchise’s hallmark relevance. Ballerina felt weak plot-wise, but Ana de Armas’s acting did not shake off anywhere. 

And we certainly were consumed with desire for the face-off between Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves. The stunt people might have found the fight choreography frail at certain points as compared to the previous John Wick films, which infused a creative approach to action. 

But Reeves and de Armas were using their surroundings without weapons as their main aim; despite receiving orders from the director to kill Eve, it was not actually to kill her. 

Overall, the expansion of the John Wick world was cool, and the spin-off found a new way to be vengeful, just like Wick himself. Eve, aka Ballerina’s energy, is irrefutable and surely deserves a watch.  

What we liked

• Ana de Armas’s commanding performance
• Visually striking action sequences 
• Keanu Reeves’ impactful cameo

What could be better

• Thin plot and weak writing
• Slow start
• Underdeveloped characters 
• Flimsy fight choreography 

Here is a detailed breakdown of our rating for Ballerina (2025)

Story/plot	8/10
Characters and acting	8/10
Direction and pacing	8/10
Visuals and cinematography	8/10
Soundtrack/score	7/10
Themes and message	6/10
Emotional impact	5/10
Creativity/originality	8.5/10
Rewatchability	7/10

Our rating: 7.5

Is Ballerina (2025) available for streaming?

Lionsgate distributes Ballerina (rated R) and is available for streaming on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home. 

Genre: Action, thriller

IMDb rating: 7.0

Rotten Tomatoes: 76 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 92 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne

Director: Len Wiseman

Writers: Shay Hatten, Derek Kolstad, Emerald Fennell

Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski

Release date: June 6, 2025

Movie runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes 

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