“John Wick 4” thrills American critics

UPDATE DAY

Two weeks away from its theatrical release, the fourth film in the popular John Wick franchise is getting first reactions highly praised in the American trade press. 

Awaited for years by fans of the saga – the film was originally scheduled to hit theaters in May 2021, but its release has been postponed due to the pandemic –, John Wick: Chapter 4 launched to much fanfare on Monday night in London, with main star Keanu Reeves in attendance.

The critical embargo having been lifted immediately after the screening, the first reactions were quick to fuse on social networks. 

“John Wick 4 is, du least from a technical point of view, one of the greatest Hollywood action films ever made”, wrote on Twitter Scott Mendelson, the film critic of the site The Wrap. “It's visually sublime with complex and inventive scenes.”

Equal enthusiasm from Katie Walsh, critic at Los Angeles Times: “I really liked John Wick 4. Amazing to remember that big blockbusters that are part of a franchise can be this good.”

Almost three hours

It didn't seem chill reviews. Variety magazine critic Courtney Howard summed up this fourth installment of the saga as “a soaring, burning and torrid chapter” and “a pure rush of adrenaline”.

Reviewer for Collider, Therese Lacson, agrees, describing this new effort from Chad Stahelski as “a bloody, action-packed carnage.”

In John Wick: Chapter 4, the notorious hitman played by Keanu Reeves finds himself confronted by former allies who have turned against him. This new plot is set in the streets of Paris.

Released in 2014, 2017 and 2019 respectively, the first three installments of the franchise have collected nearly $600 million at the global box office. The new film hits theaters with us on March 22.