Movie Review: Ballerina – A Ballet of Bullets and Brutality
Written by Teresita Blanco (The Artsy Sister)
Watch the film here: https://amzn.to/44yKhyf
Watch my Short roasting the stair-falling chaos: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AxmUcermcEU
Ballerina drops us back into the stylish and savage world of John Wick—but this time with a deadly twist of grace. Ana de Armas leads as Rooney, a ballerina-assassin out for vengeance after her family is brutally murdered. Fans of the franchise will recognize the cold elegance of the Continental and the operatic violence that defines this universe. This spin-off does a solid job keeping the action personal, while still bathing everything in that familiar neon noir.
The choreography (both in dance and death) is top-tier. Rooney isn’t just a trained killer; she’s a storm of finesse, rage, and elegance. Think pirouettes mixed with precision headshots. The film leans into the stylized violence the John Wick series is known for, with a few brutal set pieces that will leave you wincing in the best way.
Now… about those falls down stairs. If you thought John Wick’s endless stair-tumble in Chapter 4 was a bit much, Ballerina ups the ante with its own absurd stair stunt that seems to defy both gravity and editing. I couldn’t resist making fun of it—check out my short poking fun at how no Wickverse protagonist can just walk down stairs like a normal person:
➡️ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AxmUcermcEU
Keanu Reeves makes a brief, moody appearance, but this is Ana de Armas’ stage—and she doesn’t waste a second. The script isn’t particularly deep, but it doesn’t need to be. Like John Wick, it’s all about the atmosphere, the emotional drive, and the creative ways people get un-alived.
Verdict:
If you’re a fan of high-style shootouts, elegant vengeance, and unnecessarily long stair sequences, Ballerina absolutely delivers. It expands the Wick lore while carving out its own identity—and Rooney deserves a franchise of her own.
🎬 Watch Ballerina: https://amzn.to/44yKhyf
😂 Watch me clown the stair scene: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AxmUcermcEU
