Wick is Pain Review: An Entertaining and Insightful Documentary Surrounding the Making of the John Wick Franchise

At one point during the interview, Keanu Reeves said “F*** yeah. Wick is pain” enthusiastically in this new documentary appropriately titled, well, Wick is Pain. Looking back, no one would have predicted John Wick would become a sleeper hit, grossing US$86 million worldwide against its relatively low US$20 million budget. Not only did it help revitalise Keanu Reeves’ then-flagging career, but it also launched the careers of veteran stunt performers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch as directors. They practically took the Hollywood action genre to the next level with their distinct styles and technicalities that combine gritty martial arts and gun-fu.

Coming off the double-whammy fiascos of 47 Ronin and Man of Tai Chi, it was the right opportunity for Reeves to re-establish himself as an action star. And he manages to pull off successfully, and four movies later, we have seen him pushing hard both physically and mentally, especially given the franchise’s commitment to practical stunts. The earlier part of Wick is Pain focuses on how Stahelski got his start as a stunt double for Brandon Lee in The Crow. Watching him recall how he and Brandon were close friends since they both trained under the legendary Dan Inosanto is a bittersweet moment.

Then came the shocking dummy bullet tragedy that killed Brandon Lee while filming The Crow. His death would become an important reminder for Stahelski to prioritise gun safety while filming on set. And this especially rings true for John Wick and its subsequent sequels since these movies deal with lots of gun-heavy action scenes. So, instead of using the usual technique of a gun loaded with blanks, he uses a safer alternative, even for close combat, called “solid plug guns”.

The road to getting the first John Wick out isn’t exactly smooth sailing, notably the budgetary issue that almost threatened to shut down the production. Then, Eva Longoria saved the project after investing US$6 million for John Wick and the rest, as they say, is history. It continues to be interesting to see how the first John Wick is like an unsure thing, even with the project back on track. How Stahelski and Leitch learning the hard way to overcome the dilemma of being first-time directors.

But they manage to soldier through the obstacles like turning things around after getting an initially mixed response from the first cut of John Wick. Like the propulsive rhythm of the John Wick franchise, director Jeffrey Doe, whose previous credit was Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” music video, doesn’t waste time getting down to business. We see all the good stuff and interesting trivia surrounding the making of John Wick, along with the underlying passion as well as the blood, sweat and tears that go into these productions. That sense of labour of love, which made the John Wick franchise so iconic in the first place.

Wick is Pain also focuses on the behind-the-scenes from John Wick 2 to 4 as each instalment is given Stahelski and Keanu Reeves creative freedom to shape the franchise’s expanding universe without getting too tied up like other established IPs. The sequels may have been a hit among many critics and audiences, but when the studio (Lionsgate) first ordered a follow-up, it marked another huge challenge for Stahelski to come up with something concrete for John Wick 2. Repeating the same formula wouldn’t have worked, which at one point, a joke during the interview about killing another animal is out of the question. And yet, John Wick 2 got made, and it was a bigger success.

Wick is Pain equally given other crew members a spotlight, notably Keanu Reeves’ stunt double Jackson Spidell and how he risks himself performing the spectacular high fall from the top of the building to hitting the awning and balcony ledge before landing down the alley below in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The third movie sees Stahelski levelling up the stakes and how he continues to push Keanu Reeves to the limit, like the visceral knife fight or training Halle Berry’s Sofia’s dogs to bite in the (enemies’) groins.

The last and most recent John Wick: Chapter 4 has once again exceeded expectations, and it’s nice to see Stahelski bringing in Donnie Yen to play the blind assassin Caine, and we get to see how the Hong Kong martial arts star shares his valuable input during the fight choreography. No doubt a must-see documentary, not only for the John Wick fans but also for those who love action movies in general. And of course, Wick is Pain arrives in the right time to serve as a companion piece or an appetiser of sorts before we are treated to an upcoming main event of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, a.k.a Ballerina, this June.