Parents' Guide to

John Wick

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Action film is stylish, entertaining but extremely violent.

Movie R 2014 101 minutes
John Wick Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Keanu Reeves</a>, who is multiracial, plays a character that passes as White. Supporting characters include Aurelio (played by Colombian American <a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/"/search/John Leguizamo">John Leguizamo</a>), Charon (<a href=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/"/search/Lance Reddick">Lance Reddick</a>), who's Black, and the Doctor (Randall Duk Kim, who's American of Chinese-Korean descent). Though they play villains, White characters are just as amoral, which helps the film avoid stereotypes. John's dead wife strongly falls into the Hollywood cliche of killing women in order to spur a male hero into action.</p> ">

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age 14+

Based on 41 parent reviews

Zaynkr
Zaynkr Adult
January 21, 2021
age 11+

Good some bad scenes

This movie I would say is 11 and up, it has a lot of violence but not that much sex or drugs as a normal rated r movie. There’s a part where a guy smokes and some liquor parts not really much sex just some kissing
Oliver W.
Oliver W. Adult
May 8, 2021
age 14+

John Wick gets violent and has language, but avoids gore-good for mature young teens

John Wick is an excellent action movie, and Keanu Reeves really shines. Violence-wise, the film definitely gets intense, but never gets overly gory. Most kills come down to a gunshot and some blood-mist, but since the action is so fast, the camera often just moves off the body. Language wise, a fair amount of f-bombs, but nothing your kids haven't heard before. I would say that John Wick is appropriate for kids 14 and up.
See all 41 parent reviews

What's the Story?

JOHN WICK (Keanu Reeves) is a retired assassin who was once the best in the business. But after a long illness that leads to the death of his beloved wife (Bridget Moynihan), he's pulled back into a world that he left long ago for love. A chance encounter with the entitled, violent son of an old associate ends up with John bloodied in his own home and the dog his wife left him as a parting gift slaughtered. For John, there's now no other recourse but revenge.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (41 ):
Kids say (154 ):

Few films in this genre are known for their intricate, layered dialogue or depth of feeling, and this doesn't exactly break these conventions. But there's no denying the artistry that went into making John Wick. The frames are well-crafted, the pace quick and effortless, the fight scenes choreographed like a ballet. It looks fantastic. And although it's an action thriller, it has a streak of humor that confidently runs through it, making it even more entertaining. Reeves' impermeable face and economic acting work well in this context because he plays a mystery man who remains mysterious throughout. And the rest of the cast -- especially Willem Dafoe and Michael Nyqvist -- is great, too.

But there's no doubt that John Wick is deeply violent. It starts out quiet, and the first attack comes as a shock, which works well for the story. But after a while, all the fights begin to numb; though they're beautifully filmed, they lose their potency, since they come fast and furious without much room to breathe or process what's happening. And parents will want to know that the fighting is so ferocious that it borders on barbarous, making the movie best left for mature teens and adults.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why John Wick gets back in the "business." Are his reasons, in this messed-up world, at all reasonable? Is he a sympathetic character, despite his line of work? Why or why not?

  • John Wick is a violent movie. Does it glamorize the violence? If so, how? Does all the violence serve the story, or does it go too far?

  • John is strongly motivated by revenge. Is that understandable? Is revenge ever an acceptable excuse for violence?

  • John Wick relies on the Hollywood cliche of using a dead woman as a plot device for a man's backstory. Have you noticed this in other action films? Is this fair to women characters? What are more creative ways to include female characters in genre films?

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