Travis Lytle’s review published on Letterboxd:
With its ferocious gunplay and compelling underworld of assassins and honor, "John Wick" is an urbane, exciting and fully engaging action thriller. Directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, put together a handsomely downcast revenge story marked by meditative moments and robust sequences of violent energy. It is a surgically efficient and raucously entertaining piece of work.
The plot of "John Wick" can be sufficiently explained in the briefest of terms: a retired hitman enters the assassination game once more when he is forced to extract vengeance from a crime family that does him wrong. The narrative is sleek, and its target is to provide bone-jarring action along with enough character to make the affair stick. That affair ends up being smart, slick, and appealing.
The film moves quickly but allows for an ebb and flow of pacing that creates a satisfying rhythm. The grays of the film's aesthetic create an evocative visual signature tempered by rich hues. The film's action beats are violent and full-bodied. All of this forms an expert package for Keanu Reeves' well-portrayed hero to fulfill his arc.
Stahelski and Leitch assemble a memorable piece of action in "John Wick." Good looking, smartly constructed, and completely engrossing, the film revels in its efficient thrills and surgical-strike narrative. It is an entertainingly impactful action film with both subtlety and sweep.