John Wick: the story so far

Death and destruction are given an achingly stylish makeover in John Wick: Chapter 4. The increasingly excellent action franchise tops itself with another jaw-dropping onslaught of martial arts choreography and gunplay as Keanu Reeves' fearsome killer takes his battle to an international level.

As Wick battles the entirety of the High Table, we span the globe from New York to Osaka, Paris to Berlin as the story draws in a memorable rogue's gallery of action icons. This includes the revered Donnie Yen as blind fighter Caine (warning: do not underestimate him) whose journey interlocks with that of Wick.

Bamboozled by that reference to the High Table? Don't know your Wicks from your Winstons? We're here to help. Ahead of the fourth film's release at Cineworld this Friday, here's our bite-sized recap of the explosive and exhilarating story so far.

John Wick (2015):

John Wick is a retired assassin living with his beloved wife Helen
However, she passes away from an illness, bequeathing him a beagle puppy
Wick is later accosted by Iosef (Alfie Allen), son of feared New York mobster Viggo (Michael Nyqvist)
Iosef and his men break into John's house, steal his Ford Mustang and kill his dog

Viggo berates his son for invoking the wrath of the 'baba yaga' (boogeyman) and puts his men on high alert
Viggo used to be John's employer and was the man who gave John a way out of the business after he fell in love with Helen
John breaks out a top-secret weapons cache from the floor of his basement and prepares to go to war
With a $2 million bounty on his head, John seeks sanctuary at the Continental Hotel, managed by Winston (Ian McShane) and with a front desk helmed by Charon (the late Lance Reddick)

The building is considered consecrated ground and it is forbidden for assassins to kill each other while on the premises
Wick dedicates himself to executing Iosef over the death of his puppy, as it was his one remaining connection to his late wife
Both Winston and John's old friend Marcus (Willem Dafoe) attempt to dissuade John from returning to his old life
John eventually confronts Viggo at the New York Harbour docks, ultimately leaving him to die
John steals a pit bull puppy that is scheduled to be put down

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John is visited by Camorra crime boss Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), the man who helped John complete his "impossible task", which allowed him to retire and marry Helen
In return, John swore to a "marker", an unbreakable vow symbolized by a "blood oath" medallion
However, John rejects the marker presented to him by Santino, which results in his house being destroyed
Upon returning to the Continental, John is reminded by Winston of two sacred vows: no killing on consecrated ground and no rejection of a marker

John then reluctantly commits to Santino's marker and he is tasked with eliminating the latter's sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) in Rome
By doing so, John will cement Santino's place at the High Table
The High Table is an elite, 12-strong fraternity of high-ranking crime bosses who manage underworld affairs across the globe
With Gianna dead by suicide, John is then double-crossed by Santino and his men who seek to tie up the loose end

Santino opens a contract for $7 million to kill John, ostensibly to avenge his sister, and owing to the marker John cannot fight back
Winston intervenes and frees John from being unable to move against Santino
John battles his way back to New York to take revenge on Santino, now an official member of the High Table
John seeks help from underground mobster the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne)

The Bowery King gives John a gun with only seven bullets, one for each million of the contract, and directs John to an art museum where Santino holds a gala
Santino flees to the Continental where he seeks sanctuary, but John violates the cardinal rule and executes him in the lobby
John's contract is then doubled and he's informed by Winston that he's now 'excommunicado', cut off from all access to underworld resources
However, Winston gives John a one-hour head start and a new marker for future use as news of the contract spreads across the world

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019):

Now excommunicado, John is beset on all sides by armed assassins with whom he battles in libraries, antique stores and on the street
John later meets with The Director (Angelica Huston), the head of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate, where he presents a rosary and demands safe passage to Casablanca
As John was once a member of the Ruska Roma, his passage is reluctantly granted
Meanwhile, Winston and the Bowery King are given seven days to resign their positions as punishment for helping John
Winston and the Bowery King are being pressured to abdicate by the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) and her assassin accomplice Zero (Mark Dacascos), but Winston refuses

In Casablanca, John uses his new marker to bind old acquaintance Sofia (Halle Berry) to his debt
He compels Sofia to take him into the desert to meet the Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui), the only person above the High Table
After nearly collapsing during his searing journey through the desert, John is brought before the Elder, stating he wants to live to keep the memory of his wife alive
The Elder agrees to forgive John if he kills Winston and remains subservient to the High Table for the remainder of his life
To seal the deal, John severs his ring finger and he gives the ring to the Elder

John returns to the Continental and, upon refusing to kill Winston, the Adjudicator revokes the building's neutral status
All-out war erupts as John and Charon fight the Adjudicator's forces, and eventually John mortally wounds Zero
On the roof of the Continental, The Adjudicator agrees to a parley with Winston, who offers fealty to the High Table
When John arrives, Winston shoots him off the roof and is later reinstated to his position as manager
John is saved by the Bowery King's men and the two join forces, swearing vengeance against the entirety of the High Table

Where will the story go next? Click here to book your tickets for John Wick: Chapter 4 and find out when the movie is released at Cineworld this Friday.

Back to Cineworld blog

Next blog article

Keanu Reeves talks John Wick: Chapter 4 at the Cineworld Leicester Square premiere

John Wick: the story so far

John Wick (2015):

John Wick is a retired assassin living with his beloved wife Helen

However, she passes away from an illness, bequeathing him a beagle puppy

Wick is later accosted by Iosef (Alfie Allen), son of feared New York mobster Viggo (Michael Nyqvist)

Iosef and his men break into John's house, steal his Ford Mustang and kill his dog

Viggo berates his son for invoking the wrath of the 'baba yaga' (boogeyman) and puts his men on high alert

Viggo used to be John's employer and was the man who gave John a way out of the business after he fell in love with Helen

John breaks out a top-secret weapons cache from the floor of his basement and prepares to go to war

With a $2 million bounty on his head, John seeks sanctuary at the Continental Hotel, managed by Winston (Ian McShane) and with a front desk helmed by Charon (the late Lance Reddick)

The building is considered consecrated ground and it is forbidden for assassins to kill each other while on the premises

Wick dedicates himself to executing Iosef over the death of his puppy, as it was his one remaining connection to his late wife

Both Winston and John's old friend Marcus (Willem Dafoe) attempt to dissuade John from returning to his old life

John eventually confronts Viggo at the New York Harbour docks, ultimately leaving him to die

John steals a pit bull puppy that is scheduled to be put down

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

John is visited by Camorra crime boss Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), the man who helped John complete his "impossible task", which allowed him to retire and marry Helen

In return, John swore to a "marker", an unbreakable vow symbolized by a "blood oath" medallion

However, John rejects the marker presented to him by Santino, which results in his house being destroyed

Upon returning to the Continental, John is reminded by Winston of two sacred vows: no killing on consecrated ground and no rejection of a marker

John then reluctantly commits to Santino's marker and he is tasked with eliminating the latter's sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) in Rome

By doing so, John will cement Santino's place at the High Table

The High Table is an elite, 12-strong fraternity of high-ranking crime bosses who manage underworld affairs across the globe

With Gianna dead by suicide, John is then double-crossed by Santino and his men who seek to tie up the loose end

Santino opens a contract for $7 million to kill John, ostensibly to avenge his sister, and owing to the marker John cannot fight back

Winston intervenes and frees John from being unable to move against Santino

John battles his way back to New York to take revenge on Santino, now an official member of the High Table

John seeks help from underground mobster the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne)

The Bowery King gives John a gun with only seven bullets, one for each million of the contract, and directs John to an art museum where Santino holds a gala

Santino flees to the Continental where he seeks sanctuary, but John violates the cardinal rule and executes him in the lobby

John's contract is then doubled and he's informed by Winston that he's now 'excommunicado', cut off from all access to underworld resources

However, Winston gives John a one-hour head start and a new marker for future use as news of the contract spreads across the world

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019):

Now excommunicado, John is beset on all sides by armed assassins with whom he battles in libraries, antique stores and on the street

John later meets with The Director (Angelica Huston), the head of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate, where he presents a rosary and demands safe passage to Casablanca

As John was once a member of the Ruska Roma, his passage is reluctantly granted

Meanwhile, Winston and the Bowery King are given seven days to resign their positions as punishment for helping John

Winston and the Bowery King are being pressured to abdicate by the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) and her assassin accomplice Zero (Mark Dacascos), but Winston refuses

In Casablanca, John uses his new marker to bind old acquaintance Sofia (Halle Berry) to his debt

He compels Sofia to take him into the desert to meet the Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui), the only person above the High Table

After nearly collapsing during his searing journey through the desert, John is brought before the Elder, stating he wants to live to keep the memory of his wife alive

The Elder agrees to forgive John if he kills Winston and remains subservient to the High Table for the remainder of his life

To seal the deal, John severs his ring finger and he gives the ring to the Elder

John returns to the Continental and, upon refusing to kill Winston, the Adjudicator revokes the building's neutral status

All-out war erupts as John and Charon fight the Adjudicator's forces, and eventually John mortally wounds Zero

On the roof of the Continental, The Adjudicator agrees to a parley with Winston, who offers fealty to the High Table

When John arrives, Winston shoots him off the roof and is later reinstated to his position as manager

John is saved by the Bowery King's men and the two join forces, swearing vengeance against the entirety of the High Table

Related blog articles

Next blog article

Venue and Event Hire

Customer information

About Cineworld

Follow Cineworld

Venue and Event Hire

Customer information

About Cineworld

Follow Cineworld