The “Best Action Trilogy of the 21st Century” Is a Sensation on New Streaming Home

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The incredibly popular John Wick action trilogy is climbing the streaming charts again. The first movie, released in 2014, wasn’t just a surprise success—it redefined the action genre and influenced films like Atomic Blonde and Extraction. Each film in the series has been more successful than the last, with the recent fourth installment also proving to be a huge hit. But it’s the original three John Wick movies that are currently gaining renewed attention from viewers.

All three original John Wick movies are currently popular on HBO Max, climbing the streaming chart this week. John Wick is the second most-watched movie right now, followed closely by John Wick: Chapter 2 in third. They’re only behind Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another at number one. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is also performing well in fifth, just after Twilight in fourth.

Derek Kolstad is the creator of the popular John Wick movie series. The first film was directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, both of whom had backgrounds as stunt performers. While Leitch later moved into a producing role, Stahelski continued as the sole director for the sequels. Of course, most people know the star: Keanu Reeves plays John Wick, a retired assassin who’s pulled back into the criminal underworld after thugs kill his dog and steal his car – a pretty compelling reason, if you ask me! Here’s how the first movie is officially described:

John Wick (Keanu Reeves), a retired hitman, had finally found peace after marrying the woman he loved. When she tragically died, he was heartbroken. But when a cruel mobster, Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), steals John’s beloved car and kills the puppy given to him by his late wife, John is driven back to his old life, seeking brutal revenge. Iosef’s father (Michael Nyqvist), a former associate of John’s, then places a massive bounty on his head.

The ‘John Wick’ Franchise Keeps Getting Better


Lionsgate

Creating a popular action series is impressive, but seeing each new movie become even more successful is something special. The first John Wick film was a hit with both critics and audiences, earning an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and making $86 million globally. However, the sequels have far exceeded that success. John Wick: Chapter 4 boasts a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has earned over $447 million worldwide. In fact, IMDb users rate the first three John Wick movies as the highest-rated action trilogy of all time.

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While the John Wick movies have been a hit, the spin-off series haven’t fared as well. The Continental on Peacock received mixed reactions from both viewers and critics, and even some of the original film’s actors disliked it. Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, performed a little better, earning $137 million globally and a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, most people agree it wasn’t quite as good as the main John Wick films.

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2026-01-20 20:49