A bruised and bloodied John Wick (Keanu Reeves) stumbles out of a car and collapses at a dock. As he watches a video of his late wife on his phone, the story flashes back to a few days earlier, setting the stage for John’s journey.
John, a retired hitman living in solitude, is grieving the recent death of his wife, Helen (Bridget Moynahan), who succumbed to a terminal illness. Helen, knowing John would struggle with her loss, arranges for a final gift to be delivered to him after her death: a beagle puppy named Daisy. Along with the puppy, she leaves a note encouraging John to find solace and a reason to keep living. The puppy quickly becomes John’s emotional anchor, a symbol of the love and hope Helen wanted him to hold onto.
John’s peaceful, albeit melancholic, life is shattered when he encounters a group of Russian gangsters at a gas station. Their leader, Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), admires John’s vintage 1969 Mustang and demands to buy it. John refuses, brushing off Iosef’s arrogance. That night, Iosef and his men break into John’s home, brutally beating him, killing Daisy, and stealing his car. This act of violence ignites a dormant fire within John, setting him on a path of vengeance.
Unbeknownst to Iosef, John Wick is a legendary assassin, known in the criminal underworld as the “Baba Yaga” (the Boogeyman). He is feared for his unmatched skills and relentless determination. Iosef’s father, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), is a powerful crime lord and John’s former employer. When Viggo learns of his son’s actions, he is filled with dread, understanding the magnitude of the mistake. Viggo attempts to reason with John by offering a truce, but John is resolute. He wants revenge.
Viggo, knowing the havoc John is capable of unleashing, puts a $2 million bounty on his head and sends a team of assassins to kill him. John, however, proves why he is so feared, dispatching the hit squad with brutal efficiency. Determined to track down Iosef, John returns to the criminal underworld he left behind, seeking assistance from old contacts.
John checks into The Continental, a luxurious hotel that serves as neutral ground for assassins and criminals. The hotel is run by the enigmatic Winston (Ian McShane), who enforces its strict rules, particularly the one forbidding “business” on its premises. At The Continental, John reconnects with Charon (Lance Reddick), the hotel’s loyal concierge, and learns about Iosef’s whereabouts through his network of informants.
John tracks Iosef to a nightclub owned by Viggo and launches a relentless assault. The sequence showcases John’s deadly skills as he eliminates dozens of Viggo’s henchmen in a mix of close-quarters combat and precision shooting. Though Iosef narrowly escapes, John’s rampage sends a clear message to Viggo: no one is safe.
Desperate to protect his son, Viggo hires Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki), a ruthless assassin, to eliminate John. Perkins attempts to ambush John in his hotel room at The Continental but underestimates his preparedness. John overpowers her, sparing her life in exchange for information about Viggo’s operations. However, Perkins breaks The Continental’s rules by trying to kill John on its grounds, leading to her eventual punishment by Winston.
John uncovers the location of Viggo’s safe house, where Iosef is hiding. He storms the compound, methodically taking down Viggo’s men and finally killing Iosef in a cold and calculated manner. Iosef’s death provides John a moment of satisfaction but does not end the conflict.
Viggo, enraged by his son’s death, retaliates by kidnapping Marcus (Willem Dafoe), a veteran hitman and John’s mentor, who had covertly helped John earlier in the story. Viggo tortures and kills Marcus to send a message to John, reigniting the feud. John, now fully committed to ending Viggo’s reign, confronts him directly.
The final confrontation unfolds as John and Viggo engage in a grueling, rain-soaked battle. Though battered and fatigued, John’s skill and determination prevail, resulting in Viggo’s death and a definitive resolution to their conflict.
In the aftermath, John, battered but alive, returns to his late wife’s memory. He visits an animal shelter and adopts a pit bull, symbolizing a fresh start and a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of his life. The film ends with John walking away with the dog, determined to reclaim his peace.
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