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Although the John Wick franchise has become a multiplex staple in the years since the original movie first arrived in 2014, the Keanu Reeves vehicle hits just as hard on the small screen via HBO Max. The John Wick franchise is one of the most surprising successes of the last twenty years in action cinema.
A stylish neo-noir thriller about a retired contract killer who avenges the murder of his beloved dog with a ruthless killing spree, 2014’s sleeper hit John Wick was an unexpected success upon release. Soon, the John Wick franchise ended up spawning sequels, spinoffs, and a TV series, all of which expanded on the threadbare plot of the original movie.
John Wick Raised The Bar For Western Action Cinema
Keanu Reeves as John Wick attending the funeral of his wife Helen in John Wick 2014
Each new project in the franchise introduced more lore and more colorful characters to the universe of the franchise, but the straightforward appeal of the John Wick universe was obvious since the original movie. Before it became the first movie in the 21st century’s best action trilogy, John Wick was a simple, brilliant action thriller.
The stakes of the story were obvious and emotionally resonant, Reeves’ performance blended quiet humanity, sardonic humor, and an impressively intimidating screen presence, and the supporting cast was universally great. However, none of this would have mattered without the bruising brutality of the movie’s many breathtaking fight sequences.
John Wick 2 And Parabellum Are Also Hits On HBO Max
John Wick in a nightclub bathed in green light in John Wick.
John Wick raised the bar for Western action cinema, taking inspiration from the Hong Kong action cinema boom of the ‘80s as well as Thai hits like Ong Bak and Warrior King. In the process, the 2014 thriller changed the face of action cinema, with John Wick redefining the standards of the genre by adding both slickness and visceral intensity to its action.
Without John Wick, there would be no Atomic Blonde, no Bullet Train, no Gangs of London, and no Nobody series. Ultra-violent, flawlessly choreographed brutality became the genre's order of the day thanks to the franchise, and its sequel delivered this in spades. As such, it is hardly surprising that both John Wick 2 and its sequel, Parabellum, are also huge hits on HBO Max.
Why John Wick: Chapter 4 Is Not On HBO Max
John looks perturbed at someone offscreen in John Wick Chapter 4
While John Wick remains the most popular action movie on the streaming service for the time being, the final movie in the series, John Wick 4, is not available to view on HBO Max. This could be due to issues with the rights to the sequel, but viewers can rest assured that the rest of the John Wick franchise can still be streamed on the platform.
Release Date October 24, 2014
Runtime 101 minutes
Director Chad Stahelski
Writers Derek Kolstad
Producers Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria, Mike Witherill