To See or Not To See: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Parabellum is Latin for “prepare for war”, which nicely sums up the plot of the latest installment of the Chad Stahelski directed franchise. Let’s be frank, the John Wick cinematic universe is not known for its intricate plotlines. In fact, you can sum up the last two movies thusly: ex-hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) comes out of retirement after his dog is killed. A two week long murder spree ensues, resulting in a secret assassins society putting $14 million hit out on Wick’s head. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens with him attempting to escape from New York.

Though the plot is simple enough, the world building is on another level. This secret assassins society, also known as the High Table, is a shady worldwide council with tendrils in all aspects of the government and society. Its reach is so far and wide that it’ll make the Illuminati blush. The High Table even creates and distributes its own currency—gold coins—for its members to pay for services, and these services are wide ranging as well, to say the least. From tipping the hotel staff, to buying information, to just paying for cleaning services to remove fresh corpses from your property, their needs run quite the gamut. The lore of this world runs deep, which is a testament to Derek Kolstad’s writing. There are even more aspects of the world I could explore, but I don’t think you’re here to read a full dissertation…

You’re here for the action, right? Parabellum is the best Wick movie of the franchise and, as an avid fan of action movies, I can say that I’ve never seen an action flick quite as satisfying to watch as this one; it’s legitimately a visual masterpiece. The fight scenes are frenetic and gruesome, the choreography is a delight to behold, and the locations are surprisingly varied—Wick actually travels to locations that aren’t New York for once! Obviously, I am not going to spoil the movie here, but suffice to say, if you’re looking to watch quite possibly the best action-thriller the genre has to offer, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the movie to beat!

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 4

Photo Credit: Lionsgate