Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski take the helm after careers in stunt work and second unit direction. Leitch coordinated stunts for TRON: Legacy and the reboot of Conan the Barbarian, while Stahelski, with a background in kickboxing, broke through as a stunt performer and a stunt double for one Keanu Reeves (The Matrix series), who stars in John Wick as the titular antihero, a former hitman pulled back into the business when Iosef (Alfie Allen), the son of a gangland ruler (Michael Nyqvist), robs him of the only things he cares about — his custom car and his dog. The lesson here is that you should never kill a hitman’s best friend. (Opens wide Friday) — (R) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2014.