In Wick is Pain director Jeffrey Doe pulls back the curtain for a riveting behind-the-scenes dive into the history and making of the John Wick action series. The documentary features Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski, but also shows respect to the army of cinematic artisans and business managers that make the films possible. From taking on the most disturbing inciting incident in action movie history (murder of a puppy), to the close-in weapons style adopted by Stahelski, anyone who has seen a John Wick film knows how extraordinary they are.
The Wick universe started small but expanded over four films to encompass the epic tale of a shadowy, overarching global crime organization called “the High Table.” All of the underworld is, in some form or fashion, “under the table.” Anyone dealing in organized crime without the authority of the High Table is a target. Reeves was in his 50s when the franchise began and is now in his 60s. There is talk of a fifth film, and a spinoff is being released starring Ana De Armas as an assassin looking for revenge called Ballerina.
The world of Wick is populated by indelible characters played with style and grace by luminaries Ian McShane, Halle Berry, Lance Reddick (RIP), Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Huston, Clancy Brown, Donnie Yen, and more. The Wick films are tightly paced, well-written, and lavishly styled. They are short on dialogue and long on extended action sequences.
“…behind-the-scenes documentary on the history and making of the John Wick action series…”
Wick is Pain takes us through how the film came to be and the many obstacles, both financial and narrative, that almost killed it on the vine. The early days were rough going for this film. Stahelski had a difficult transition from stunt coordinator to director.
We also get fascinating biographical details about Stahelski’s early work in stunts, and how he parlayed that into a specialty action design company that provides stunt coordination and performers. He doubled Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, which resulted in a friendship that led to John Wick. The bond between them gives the film heart. It is clear that the Wick crew has gelled as a family of friends.
Earlier, Stahelski worked with his friend Brandon Lee, who was killed in a weapons accident on the set of The Crow. The two trained together at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts. The impact of Lee’s death led Stahelski to embrace a safer method of gunplay in films, a variant of John Woo’s “Gun-Fu.” Gun-Fu features close-in firearms where the weapons are used for multiple attacks, including as blunt force objects and fired at point-blank range with muzzle flashes added later as CGI. In the Wick version, the barrels of the weapons are sealed, and the risk of injury is practically nil. The filmmakers of Rust should have adopted this practice. If they had, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins would still be alive.
Wick is Pain is as informative as it is thrilling. Reeves has abused his body horrifically over the years, doing all but the most dangerous stunts himself. Doe gives us a brilliant document of the risks and rewards of the John Wick series. If you’ve not seen these films, you’ll want to. If you have, you’ll want to watch them again. Philosopher Rene Girard suggested that sacred violence is the foundation for order in societies. Wick honors that concept with style.
"…a brilliant document of the incredible risks and rewards of the John Wick series."
