John Wick

John Wick tried to leave his past life as a hit man behind him, but when three Russian gang members take everything he had left to live for, he falls deep back into his old life in the pursuit of vengeance.

After losing his wife, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) receives a parting gift from her in the form of Daisy, a small beagle pup. Then late one night three Russians led by Iosef, son of Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), Wick's former employer, break into his house, steal his car and kill his new puppy, the only living connection to his wife. Driven by a desire for revenge, Wick must single handedly take down the whole of the New York Russian crime syndicate in order to get to the man who killed his beloved Daisy.

John Wick strikes a perfect balance of being a high-hitting action film whilst not losing track of the emotional centre of the storyline. The unpredictable and fast paced life led by the title character is at the heart of this film and this is conveyed not only from the beautifully crafted script but also from some of the oh-so-believable supporting roles played by Willem Defoe, Adrianne Palicki and Ian McShane. The graphics are to be held in the highest regard and as a result of such lifelike blood-splatters and headshots, this isn't a film for the faint-hearted; however the slick and stylish nature of the film, together with the superb choice of complementing music and its impeccable dark humour, means John Wick is definitely not one to miss.

Ed Moss