The John Wick franchise has become a milestone in American action cinema, with Keanu Reeves bringing to life a protagonist who initially only wanted revenge. Its plot has built up a continuous and intriguing universe, full of violence, professional assassins and memorable fights that have now totaled four films, managing to maintain the visual identity of the best John Wick films, even taking inspiration from classic Hollywood action films.
The film series has become consistent, with excellent ratings on sites like Rotten Tomatoes. And it's on this basis that we're going to rank all the John Wick films, a total of four features set in this insane universe, in a list that goes from the worst to the best received. Remember that all the films are good in their own way and narrative, so feel free to make your own ranking in the comments.
'John Wick' (2014)
The first film ranks fourth among the best John Wick films, not because it was inferior to the others, but because the franchise was so successful that the following films had action scenes that surpassed their predecessor.
It all starts when John Wick tries to live his peaceful life after the death of his wife, the person responsible for driving him away from his career as a killer. However, a mobster and his henchmen show up to take his mind off things and, after eliminating his puppy, John Wick unleashes the killing machine that was trapped inside him.
John Wick, the first film in the franchise released in 2014, became a huge success at the time it was released, surprising viewers, critics and audiences alike. With a total approval rating of 86% from critics and 81% from audiences in the Rotten TomatoesAs a result, this movie stood out for having a compact story (under two hours) that was extremely satisfying. Director Chad Stahelski gained prominence in Hollywood after this production and Keanu Reeves returned to the spotlight with his performance as the protagonist John Wick.
'John Wick: Chapter 2' (2017)
Among the best John Wick films, the second one ranks third. One of the reasons why John Wick 2 is ahead of its predecessor is the expansion of the universe that was briefly built up in the first film. Much of this is due to The Continental, a hotel for assassins like John Wick who seek refuge there, as it's a place where fights can't happen. We are also introduced to other characters similar to John, showing us that in the universe developed by the franchise, there are many other criminal organizations and ruthless killers.
In this sequel to John Wick, our protagonist has his plans to be a civilian interrupted when an Italian gangster shows up at his house to demand retribution for past favors. Although he doesn't want to, John has to respect the old code of his organization, so he ends up accepting the mission to kill the sister of D'Antonio, an important member of Italian crime.
John Wick: Chapter 2 has received 89% from critics and 85% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, expanding the scope of the universe presented in the first film. However, John Wick must complete his mission and deal with the fact that there is a huge bounty on his head. Although many find this sequel a little over the top, this is a path that we will see from now on in the franchise, in its next chapters.
'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum' (2019)
With the help of the ending of the second film, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum gets off to an electrifying start without too much ado, helping it to take second place among the best John Wick films. With a total running time of 130 minutes, John Wick this time faces an army of professional assassins and rival organizations who want the bounty on his head at all costs. Of course, this provides fans with several electrifying and even ludicrous, but extremely entertaining fight sequences.
Everything went wrong after John Wick shot one of the members of The High Table, the international organization of assassins. This leads to his banishment and, of course, leaving him without the organization's protection. The reward for his death is US$ 14 million and John becomes a magnet for assassins, who are willing to fight even on the busy streets of New York. Wick must find allies if he wants to stay alive...
Parabellum has become one of the best action films with an exaggerated plot, scoring 89% from critics and 86% from the public on Rotten Tomatoes. It is in second place on the list of the best John Wick films and all the action it offers, together with the script, is the reason for its popularity.
'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
With the highest score on Rotten Tomatoes, John Wick: Chapter 4 is number 1 in our ranking of the best John Wick films. Scoring a whopping 94% from critics and 93% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, this is the most acclaimed John Wick movie sequel.
In this final installment of the franchise, John Wick discovers a way to defeat the organization The High Table and finally win his freedom. But before he does, Wick will have to face his most ruthless enemy yet, who has countless powerful alliances around the world.
It's hard to see a movie franchise, regardless of genre, hold up so well over a number of films, but Keanu Reeves and his director, Chad Stahelski, have managed to pull it off. Even with extremely exaggerated scenes that help make the movie long, the fourth film has established itself not only as the best of all the John Wick films, but also among the best action films of 2023.
For action fans, the entire John Wick franchise is very satisfying and well worth watching. With an iconic protagonist, a consistent script and excellent motivation, the action scenes, however exaggerated and long they may be, become justifiable and entertaining for audiences who appreciate this genre of cinema.
And that's our list of the best John Wick movies, sorted. If you like movies and good recommendations, make sure you also check out our ranking of the 11 best christopher nolan movies! e the 9 best movies with plot twists to marathon!
