The Ultimate Ranking of the John Wick Films from Least Best to Best

With fairly recent release of Ballerina in 2025, I decided to rewatch through all of the John Wick films and update my ranking. The John Wick franchise has become one of the premier action franchises of the last 12 years. It has delivered fantastic stories with simple plots, grounded action, and practical effects. It has also cemented Keanu Reeves as a standout action star. The franchise has been very consistent in its film quality having never delivered a bad film. This ranking was a bit tough to do as all of these films are A- and above movies so instead of there being the worst film, it is instead just the least best film. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking on the 5 John Wick films.

5. Ballerina

Ballerina is the newest film in the John Wick franchise. This movie is a perfect example of how to do a spin-off film. Ballerina does a great job of building out the world of John Wick but instead of just sticking to the parts we already know, the movie adds whole new aspects of this secret society with a new less high-class organization. I thought Ana De Armas was great as the lead. She does all the action sequences well and has a good screen presence. As usual for this franchise, the action is top-notch. It continues to have highly stylized action sequences that keep you invested in the story. I like how Ana De Armas' action is different than John Wick's as he is very polished and precise while she is more grab whatever is close to her and use it type action. I thought the usage of John Wick was well done too. He is in it a decent amount but doesn't distract from what Ana De Armas is doing. The best parts of the movie, he is not even in. That is how you can tell he isn't overshadowing. In the end, Ballerina is a great action film and continues to flesh out the world of John Wick.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

4. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

John Wick: Chapter 3 is definitely the weakest of the 4 films. However, this is still a very good film and has very little wrong with it. This film has much higher stakes than the last two films as we really get to see the consequences of John's actions and how big of a threat the high table actually is. This movie also does a great job of sharing more about the high table in terms of how they operate as well as how they react to those that break the rules. This movie also introduces some fun new characters such as Sofia and Zero. Both are solid additions and have some really great action sequences. I also thought the first hour of this film with John on the run was really well done. It has constant action as everywhere John turns, there is a new foe trying to take him down. The main reason this is at the bottom is that the story itself is the weakest out of the four and feels somewhat episodic at times jumping from event to event. Even so, this is still a top-tier action movie.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. John Wick

This is the film that started it all and also has the smallest scale. This is a simple action movie that is a great revenge story at its core. The action in this movie is so great. It consists of a lot of hand-to-hand combat as well as a lot of gunshot fights. This movie also does a great job of establishing and building this world of the criminal underground. Right out of the gate, we get introduced to this new world, learn how their currency works and learn what some of their base rules are. This movie also established Keanu Reeves as a standout action star and really gets to show him pulling off this intense fight choreography. What I really like about this movie is how simple it is. It doesn't have much of a complex plot or any side plots and really wastes no time on much of a back story for John. It just gives us a character with a pre-established set of skills and lets us run with him and explore this world. The only issue I had with this film, is that the whole Willem Dafoe side character felt a bit underdeveloped. Regardless, this is still a fantastic film.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

2. John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the new entry into the franchise and is by far the largest in scale and most epic. The way the story is told along with the run time causes the movie to feel more like an action epic than just a traditional action movie and it totally works. All of the action sequences are so well done with some of them being super high scale and really cool to see. This movie does a great job of building on the characters from the previous films and shows how John's actions have impacted everyone he knows. The movie also introduces quite a few new characters that are really fun to see such as Cain and Mr. Nobody as John's opponents/friends and The Marquis as the villain. The movie also does a great job of efficiently using the run time. When I first heard that it was almost 3 hours long, I was a bit skeptical. However, the movie manages to use the longer runtime purposefully and actually build out a compelling story with every minute. Finally, I liked how the movie had a sense of finality to it. I felt it gave a proper send-off to John's character and would be a great way to end the franchise. The only thing keeping this from number 1 is that I felt the story jumped around a bit too much in the first hour. Still, this is a truly epic action film.

Score: 8.9/10 Grade: A-

I. John Wick: Chapter 2

John Wick: Chapter 2 is my favorite in the franchise and proves that the first movie was not a fluke. This movie takes what worked in the first film and actually builds on it. It takes the world established in the first film and grows it and shows that there is more to it than just NYC. We get to see organizations from around the world as well as get a look into how the high table operates. This movie also has the most compelling story in the franchise. It shows the consequences of John returning to this world and why he cannot just leave again. It also shows the consequences when rules are broken and the wrong people are crossed. The second hour of the film is my favorite in the franchise as it is the beginning of John's world being turned upside down. As with the rest of the films, the action in this movie is top-notch. There are so many well-done and grounded action sequences that are just so much fun to watch. Finally, I liked the new characters that this movie introduces such as the Bowery King, Ares, and Cassian. Overall, this is just a fantastic action movie and is in my opinion the best film in a franchise of fantastic movies.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A