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Published Jan 25, 2026, 1:30 PM EST
Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.
Now that it’s out of theaters and it’s streaming on Prime Video, Ana de Armas’ underrated John Wick spinoff Ballerina is finally getting its due recognition. Officially titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, it’s the first official spinoff movie in the John Wick franchise, and while it doesn’t quite live up to the original four, it’s a solid action thriller.
Ballerina underperformed at the box office, despite heavily advertising Keanu Reeves’ supporting role as Wick himself, so it’s unclear if we’ll ever get any more From the World of John Wick spinoff movies. And that’s a shame, because Ballerina introduced a fascinating new antihero and set her up for a long-running action-packed saga of her own.
From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina Is A Big Streaming Hit On Prime Video
After its lackluster theatrical run last summer, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is now streaming on Prime Video, and it’s sitting comfortably in the top 10. Ballerina is basically a John Wick-iverse version of Resident Evil 4, in which a badass mercenary infiltrates a strange European town where everyone wants to kill her, in order to save a kidnapped child from a mysterious cult.
De Armas proved to be a natural action hero. We got a glimpse at her action chops with her brief but unforgettable role alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond in No Time to Die, but she’s never headlined her own action vehicle before, and she handles that responsibility with aplomb. She nails the physicality, the effortless charisma, and the one-liner deliveries.
The script isn’t quite as tight as the original John Wick, but it tells a similarly mythic story with a clear emotional core. It’ll be a shame if we never get to see Eve again, because de Armas is fantastic in this role, and the ending of Ballerina sets up a heck of a sequel.
Why More People Didn't Give Ballerina A Chance In Theaters
Although it got positive reviews from critics and had a couple of awesome trailers, Ballerina was a box office disappointment. But the movie itself isn’t to blame per se; it’s part of a larger industry trend. Spinoffs are a tough sell; Lightyear, The King’s Man, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga were all commercial disappointments, too.
Spinoffs are the most overt cash-grabs in Hollywood, so they’re very hit-and-miss. Sometimes, a visionary creator can take one of these arbitrary spinoffs and turn it into something great (Andor, Wonka, Peacemaker). But most of the time, they’re a let-down. Ballerina suffered from moviegoers getting more selective in a depressed economy where disposable income is getting scarcer.
English (US) ·