TL;DR: The John Wick franchise is a masterclass in stylized action, but it’s essentially a 10-hour slaughterhouse. While there is almost zero sexual content or "brain rot" dialogue, the body count is astronomical (we’re talking 450+ kills across four movies). It’s generally best for Ages 16+, though your 12-year-old likely already knows him as "the guy from Fortnite."
Quick Links to the World of Wick:
- John Wick (The Movie) – The one that started it all.
- John Wick: Chapter 4 – The epic, three-hour finale.
- Fortnite – Where your kids first met the "Baba Yaga."
- The Continental – The 1970s prequel series on Peacock.
If you’ve missed the cultural phenomenon, here’s the no-BS summary: John Wick (played by the internet’s favorite human, Keanu Reeves) is a retired super-assassin who tries to live a quiet life after his wife passes away. Then, some entitled mobster’s son breaks into his house, steals his vintage Mustang, and kills the puppy his wife left him.
Big mistake.
John comes out of retirement and proceeds to dismantle the entire global criminal underworld. The movies are famous for "Gun-Fu"—a mix of close-quarters martial arts and highly choreographed shooting. It’s less like a standard action movie and more like a violent ballet.
You might be wondering why your middle-schooler is talking about a guy who kills people with a pencil.
- The Fortnite Connection: Back in 2018, Fortnite released a "Reaper" skin that looked suspiciously like John Wick. Later, they did an official crossover. To a whole generation of kids, Keanu Reeves isn't "Neo" from the Matrix; he’s "the Fortnite guy."
- The Memes: The "Baba Yaga" (the Boogeyman) has become a legendary meme figure. Kids love the absurdity of the "He killed three men in a bar with a pencil" stories. In the world of Gen Alpha slang, the franchise’s over-the-top nature almost borders on being "Ohio" (internet-speak for weird or nonsensical), but in a way that feels "sigma" (cool/dominant).
- Visual Spectacle: Let’s be real—the movies look incredible. The neon lights, the suits, and the precision of the action are catnip for kids raised on high-speed YouTube edits and TikTok clips.
Ask our chatbot why John Wick is so popular on TikTok
Ages 15+ The leanest and most "grounded" of the bunch. It’s a classic revenge story.
- The Violence: Intense, but feels more like a standard thriller.
- The "Puppy Factor": The death of the dog is the most emotionally upsetting part of the entire franchise for many kids (and parents). If your teen is sensitive to animal cruelty, skip this or use a "Does the Dog Die" site to prep them.
Ages 16+ This is where the world-building goes off the rails in the best way. We learn about "The High Table" (the secret government of assassins) and "The Continental" (the hotel where no "business" can be conducted).
- The Body Count: It jumps from 77 kills in the first movie to 128 in the second.
- The Vibe: It starts feeling more like a video game. If your kid plays Call of Duty or Halo, they’ve seen this level of "gameplay" before.
Ages 16+ A nearly three-hour epic. It features a top-down "dragon’s breath" shotgun sequence that looks exactly like a video game and a 20-minute fight up the stairs of the Sacré-Cœur in Paris.
- The Commitment: It’s a long sit. If your teen has a short attention span, they might start scrolling TikTok halfway through.
Ages 17+ A prequel series set in the 70s. It’s grittier and, frankly, a bit more cynical than the movies. It doesn't have the "Keanu charm," so most kids find it boring compared to the main films.
Ages 16+ (Predicted) Coming in June 2025, this spin-off stars Ana de Armas as an assassin trained in the same ballet school we saw in the third movie.
- What to expect: Expect the same "ballet of blood" style. It’s a revenge story where a daughter hunts the people who killed her father. It's rated R for "bloody violence throughout," so don't expect a PG-13 "girl power" movie—this is full-throttle Wick.
The John Wick movies are a paradox for parents. On one hand, they are Rated R for "pervasive strong violence." On the other hand, they are remarkably "clean" in other areas.
The "Safe" Stuff:
- No Sex/Nudity: Across four movies, there is almost zero sexual content. There’s a brief scene in a bathhouse in the second movie, but it’s about a knife fight, not romance.
- No "Brain Rot": The scripts are tight. John Wick barely speaks (he averages about 10 words per kill). There’s no cringey "influencer" dialogue or toxic social dynamics.
- Strong Ethics (In a weird way): John is a man of his word. The "High Table" runs on rules, consequences, and a strange sense of honor.
The "Not-So-Safe" Stuff:
- The Gore: While not "slasher movie" level, there are headshots, stabbings, and people being hit by cars every 71 seconds on average. It is a relentless assault of "red mist."
- The Theme of Revenge: The entire franchise is built on the idea that if someone hurts you, you are justified in burning their entire world down.
Check out our guide on the best action movies for 12-14 year olds
If you decide to let your teen watch these, be prepared for them to say, "Oh, I’ve done this in Fortnite."
Digital wellness isn't just about limiting minutes; it's about understanding how media bleeds together. For a kid, playing as John Wick in a game and then seeing him in a movie feels like a "multiverse" experience. It can desensitize them to the violence because it feels "cool" and "stylized" rather than tragic.
How to Talk About It:
- Ask: "Do you think John is a hero or a villain?" (The movies actually lean into the idea that he’s a "bad man" who is just better than the really bad men).
- Discuss the "Puppy": Why did the filmmakers choose a dog to start the war? (It’s a great way to talk about how movies use "emotional shortcuts" to make us cheer for a killer).
- The Physics: Point out the absurdity. No one survives falling off a four-story building onto a van and then walking away. It’s a live-action cartoon.
If your teen is 15 or 16 and has already been playing Fortnite or Apex Legends, they’ve seen the "vibe" of John Wick. The movies are high-quality cinema—way better than the "brain rot" content often found on YouTube.
However, if your kid is still in the Roblox or Minecraft phase, keep the "Baba Yaga" in the shadows for a few more years. The violence is just too frequent and too visceral for the elementary or early middle school crowd.
- Watch the first 20 minutes of John Wick yourself. If you can handle the puppy scene, you’ll know if your kid can.
- Check the "Kill Count" videos on YouTube. There are plenty of "John Wick Kill Count" supercuts. Watching a 5-minute version of the violence is a quick way to gauge the "gore factor" without sitting through the whole film.
- Set boundaries for the spin-offs. Just because Ballerina has a female lead doesn't mean it’s for your 10-year-old daughter. It’s still a Wick movie.
Learn more about how to handle "M-Rated" games and "R-Rated" movies