#michael finch

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers the kind of expertly coordinated, clearly shot action you rarely see in movies today. 169 minutes sounds long but in execution, it isn’t. You’re excited the whole way through. The conclusion, however, leaves me with mixed feelings. Is this the last episode in the series? If it is, there are many elements that ultimately, didn’t go anywhere. If it isn’t, John Wick: Chapter 5 will have to do some serious limbo-ing to get out of the weird corner it's gotten itself into.

Continuing his campaign of vengeance against the High Table, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) provokes the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). His plan? Challenge him to a duel. If John wins, he will be free of all obligations towards the High Table. Unfortunately, John can only do this if he is readmitted to a crime family, a feat easier said than done.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an action movie but I’d also compare it to an art film. The plot almost doesn’t matter. The Marquis, Elder (George Georgiou) and Harbinger (Clancy Brown) all fulfill complex roles and enforce policies/rules I’m not sure anyone understands. Narratively, the secret (?) society has all sorts of honorary traditions, which makes the plot complex but also not really. If you miss why this person is now on John's side when they weren’t before, that’s ok. What matters is the stunt coordination, cinematography, special effects and the way the results make you feel. Why do civilians keep dancing while men kill each other in the middle of a club? Because it looks good. That's why.

A world as obfuscating as this one should push you towards not caring about anything but this third sequel engages you with crazy characters and concepts that make you go “Where is this going"? Donnie Yen plays Caine, a blind assassin forced out of retirement to kill John Wick. How can someone who can’t see belong in a world that begins and ends with guns? You want to know. You want to find out what his ties to our hero are and what circumstances turned him into this Zatoichi-like warrior. Did he lose his eyesight? Was he always blind? Similarly, Scott Adkins plays Killa Harkan, this supremely greasy member of the German Table you just know has a thousand stories to tell just looking at him.

As nice as it is to have colorful characters living in a world that stretches beyond the borders of the screen, what you came for are the action scenes. Can they top what we saw before? Yes. The biggest and most impressive is a long battle shot from above which has John making his way through seemingly endless ruined rooms, taking out opponents with incendiary rounds while tracking - and being tracked - by two other opponents. You can’t even imagine how it was choreographed. The fights are flashy, full of bone-crunching stunts that will make you wince and often end in some kind of wild turn that takes you completely by surprise while giving you a tour of multiple cities. The film isn’t all that concerned with realism and is that much the better for it.

My primary criticism is that John Wick: Chapter 4 is both too close- and open-ended. This film's fallout should keep the story going but it's also very definitive as a final chapter. It's like director Chad Stahelski couldn't pick one or the other. If this is the end, it's not fully satisfactory. John Wick doesn't even share a single scene with his dog and his relationship with man's best friend is what started this campaign. Elements and characters introduced previously are forgotten (Halle Berry's Sofia, for example) or don't have the kind of payoff that makes the detour we took to get there seem worth it. Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody for example. His interactions with John and the Marquis are terrific, but at the end, he feels like a cool character writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch wanted to include but ultimately, didn't know what to do with.

Anyone who has seen the previous John Wick films should see this latest installment. Even if you haven't, the visual razzle-dazzle of John Wick: Chapter 4 is worth it. Whether this is the last time we see John Wick and this world is hard to see but I hope not. Despite everything good about this picture, there are still many unanswered questions. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 12, 2023)

“I’m ready to see my family.”