Wick is Pain is a 126 minute triumph of a documentary dedicated to fans of the John Wick franchise, from the origin of the first film to the conclusion of the final - Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves discuss it all. 

 

Observing just how much stress this series had put on everyone involved is absolutely insane, the number of bruises Keanu had alone should indicate he should have stopped a long time ago. However Keanu Reeves can’t stop, he lives John Wick and to him and director Chad Stahelski, Wick is in fact pain, but with pain comes something much more rewarding. 

 

The documentary is broken down into a few parts - namely in sections based on the films they are speaking for. The first section is the most in depth as they focus on just how close this film never came to be and disaster was at their door literally every day for first time directors. It also showcases David Leitch and Stahelski’s dynamic on the first film and its toxicity that would have most likely altered the Wick we know and love if they stayed together. 

 

The first act of the documentary is a riveting story of just how miraculous this process was and how horrendous the filmmaking process is - preproduction, principal photography and post - especially when money falls through. It highlights the mental turbulence that goes into first time directing and the stress that comes with having a movie get financed, shot and ultimately finding distribution. Shooting the movie can sometimes be the easiest part of the process - because the nightmare sometimes comes in finding a way to get the finished product that has all those hours of blood, sweat and tears out to the masses. 

 

For those curious about the production side of the John Wick series, they tackle a number of the stunt work involved and the decisions they made along the way to advance the world of Wick. The motto was what would be cool to see and if Keanu would be up for doing it. The answer seemingly every time is “why not?” and the films we know and love came to be. There’s one scene with the stunt work in particular they highlight that could’ve gone an entirely different direction of disaster - Keanu’s stunt performer could have easily been paralyzed with one wrong move during the iconic fall from the rooftop shot in Parabellum. 

 

Everyone involved loves this franchise, even through all the headaches and heartaches it induces. It’s a breakdown with the stunt performers, the stunt coordinators, the producers, writers, directors and of course Keanu Reeves - but beyond the star we have no additional reference from the actors around him. Wick is Pain’s largest flaw is the lack of interviews and even discussions of the actors / characters that share the screen with Wick. Halle Bailey, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Bill Skarsgård and so one are like fest almost entirely out apart from archive footage from the BTS. A missed opportunity to better flesh out the experience this franchise was for all involved. 

 

Nonetheless, Wick is Pain allows fans an insider’s perspective on just how much work goes into every aspect of making one of these films and just how torturous the process truly is. In one perspective you want Keanu to give it up knowing just how awfully bruised the man is head to toe and the injuries John is inflicted by Keanu also is - the limping is truly real. Stahelski and Reeves even in the doc seemed definitive that they wanted Wick to die, but immediately after they begin to reconsider - everyone involved does because what could be next for Wick after death? Only time will find out as there is so much more of this universe planned, clearly announced after this documentary was finalized.