There’s a moment in “Ballerina” — somewhere between the bloodstained elegance and the thunder of gunfire — where time seems to freeze. Anna de Armas stands at the center of it all, half-broken and fully dangerous, as if the entire weight of vengeance and vulnerability were stitched into the seams of her dress. And it hits you: this isn’t just another assassin flick from the world of “John Wick.” This is a fierce, tragic, hypnotic dance choreographed in rage and restraint.
Set in the sleek but savage universe that has, over the years, built its own language of violence, “Ballerina” moves to a different rhythm. It gives us a protagonist who doesn’t just kill with precision, but thinks, hesitates, and holds back. Anna de Armas as Eve, a ballerina-assassin, is magnetic. She brings a distinct emotional depth that sets her apart from the rest of Wick’s cold-blooded ecosystem. She’s impulsive, skilled, and layered — and in a world dominated by stoic hitmen, her restraint becomes her defining edge.. And that makes her emotionally vulnerable in a way people in that world aren’t expected to be.
The film opens on familiar ground—assassins, vendettas, sleek suits, and blood-soaked ballet. The first half? A bit cliché. You can almost predict the beats, although it does give a gorgeously choreographed training sequence. And “Ballerina” begins to find its rhythm somewhere in the second half. The plot kicks into gear, the action intensifies, and we start to see the emotional architecture of Eve’s world fall beautifully into place.
The action set pieces are, without exaggeration, incredible. Clean, brutal choreography married with slick production design makes for some seriously memorable moments. It’s refreshing to see female-led action done with such confidence and zero tokenism. There are some extremely memorable sequences in this film, and you’ll be glad to have checked them out once you leave the theatres.
The cinematography is stunning. Every frame feels polished, but not overdone. The colors are rich, the lighting moody, and it all serves the emotion. The music and sound design? A huge win. The score keeps you locked in, and the sound of every bullet, breath, and bone-crack is elevated to an art form.
Now let’s talk script — it’s fine. Serviceable. Nothing that’ll stick with you, but also not trying to reinvent the wheel. The dialogue does its job and moves on. It’s the performances and the direction that do the heavy lifting here.
Another plus is that even though John Wick himself shows up, and yes, it’s fun. But this is Eve’s film. And Anna de Armas owns every second of it. The film doesn’t let Wick be at the front and centre, but rather includes him in a way that moves the plot forward.
“Ballerina” is a story that deals with justice, vengeance, and redemption among all the tropes. It doesn’t change the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It glides, strikes, and lands where it needs to — and sometimes, that’s more than enough. An exhilarating addition to the John Wick franchise!
