If you’ve yet to immerse yourself into the heart-stopping, action-packed world of John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, now would be the perfect time. Especially if you’re keen on delving into the spin-off, ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’. If, however, sitting through nearly nine hours of pure action isn’t feasible for you right now, fear not, as we bring you up to speed on how Ballerina dovetails within the universe of John Wick. Step into the thrilling world of ‘Ballerina’, the fifth entry in the John Wick series, where you’ll meet Eve Macarro, played by Ana de Armas. She is a ballet dancer turned lethal assassin, much like John Wick, and a protégé of the notorious crime syndicate, the Ruska Roma.
Eve unravels horrifying truths about her lineage and a clandestine sect of murderers tied to her family. This discovery propels her on a dangerous quest of retaliation against the Chancellor, the sinister head of the group who orchestrated her father’s demise during her childhood. The trailer of Ballerina hints at John Wick being a part of Eve’s journey to vengeance. However, does he side with her, or does he scheme against her? It’s this intricacy of the plot that has fans on edge as to where John Wick truly belongs in the Ballerina storyline.
The timeline of ‘Ballerina’ coincides primarily with the events chronicled in the 2019 installment, ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’. The movie starts off with John Wick facing the ‘excommunicado’ verdict from the High Table – the formidable governing council of the underworld’s most influential criminal organizations. Wick had broken one cardinal rule, resulting in a death warrant on him. Now on the run with a hefty bounty on his head, Wick is compelled to fight his way out of deadly situations using any weapon within his grasp.
In his bid to survive, he realizes he must act swiftly and decisively. Wick draws the only card left at his disposal by heading back to Tarkovsky Theater, a hidden sanctuary in NYC and the covert base of the Ruska Roma. He pins his hopes on the Director to grant him a life-saving favor at the eleventh hour. The Ruska Roma, comprising predominantly Belarusian contract killers, maintains a ballet academy which stealthily serves as their training ground for nurturing assassins.
With the Director at the helm of the Ruska Roma, John Wick’s early years were under her guidance. Left orphaned, she took John Wick under her wing and honed him into a formidable martial expert. In due time, she transformed into a mentor and a mother figure. John Wick gained notoriety as a ruthless assassin and a hired gun for a distinct crime family, the Tarasov Mob. Regardless, he never severed ties with the Ruska Roma, the proof of which lay in his tattoo of the Cross of Lorraine, a symbol associated with both the Ruska Roma and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Hoping that his past contributions to the organization could earn him a respite from duty, Wick pleads with the Director to release him. He acknowledges the possibility of leaving her to bear the brunt of the High Table’s wrath as a consequence. Although the Director reluctantly agrees to let him off the hook, she warns Wick that he’s now entirely on his own, without the shelter and assistance of the Ruska Roma.
After losing her father, Eve Macarro becomes a part of the Ruska Roma family, with one of the organization’s influential figures, Winston Scott, New York Continental manager, aiding her adoption process. Determined to mirror the legendary John Wick’s proficiency as a killer, Eve seeks advice from the renowned assassin himself. Wick, however, strongly dissuades her from pursuing this perilous line of work, urging her to seize the opportunity to carve a different, safer path for herself.
However, Eve is starkly reminded of the lethal repercussions her choices have brought about, the difficulties of her chosen life making themselves increasingly clear. In the final act of ‘Ballerina’, the plot devolves into Eve’s relentless quest for the individual responsible for her father’s death—the Chancellor. Unbeknownst to her at first, the Chancellor, who also heads a shadowy community of assassins, is actually her maternal grandfather.
Eve learns that her father had attempted to save her from the very life she was destined for, a move that cost him his own life at the Chancellor’s hands. To execute her murderous grandfather, Eve must face the daunting task of going against a town densely populated with skilled assassins. This daring act of unrest does not bode well with the Director, who opts to stand by the Chancellor, prioritizing the preservation of the Ruska Roma and her own position in the process.
By siding with the Chancellor, she seals her betrayal towards Eve. However, to ensure Eve’s downfall once and for all, she knows she must bring in the single most formidable adversary—John Wick. Wick makes his way to Hallstatt, intending to confront Eve, only to recognize her from their past encounter. Faced with no other choice, the ensuing confrontation ensues, but Wick decides to spare her life.
Wick alerts her about the ground rules and repercussions of their dangerous lifestyle they’ve opted in for. Yet, he doesn’t merely offer an extended deadline until midnight for her to do away with the Chancellor. Wick also aids Eve in her critical mission by providing much-needed cover against an assassin cornering her, eventually eliminating an entire squad of trained killers single-handedly.
With Wick’s assistance, Eve eventually manages to confront the Chancellor in time. The intense similarity between Eve and Wick comes to light in this instance—neither can pull off their harsh reality single-handedly. They both require support to survive this harsh world, and Wick, understanding this, lends a hand.
Ultimately, Wick made a critical decision—a choice he knew he could morally stand behind. His actions serve as a stark reminder to not only Eve but also the viewers: we are just bystanders in John Wick’s absorbing world, where he serves as the unwritten rule-maker and the ruthless enforcer.