John Wick: Chapter 4 – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

John Wick: Chapter 4

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2023

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Keanu kills approximately 847 people in the most beautifully choreographed violence you'll ever see—and absolutely not for kids.

7.6/10

94%

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John Wick: Chapter 4

movie

R, 2023

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Keanu kills approximately 847 people in the most beautifully choreographed violence you'll ever see—and absolutely not for kids.

7.6

94%

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7.6/10

94%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, John Wick: Chapter 4 is objectively an incredible piece of action filmmaking. The critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences loved it, and if you're into this genre, it's basically the apex. The stunt work is insane, the cinematography is gorgeous, and Keanu is doing his thing.

But let's be crystal clear: this is NOT for kids. Not for young teens. Not even for most 15-year-olds. This is a nearly three-hour symphony of violence where John Wick murders hundreds of people in increasingly creative ways. Yes, it's stylized. Yes, it's balletic. But it's also relentless and intense.

For parents of older teens (17-18) who are into action movies and can handle extreme content, this could be a shared experience to discuss film craft and the ethics of revenge narratives. For everyone else? This is firmly in the 'wait until they're adults' category. The WISE score is low because this has zero family value, but if you're an adult looking for top-tier action cinema, it delivers.

Age Fit

This is for adults, full stop. Even the 17+ rating from Common Sense Media feels generous—this is really for older teens (17-18) who specifically love action films and adults who appreciate the craft. If you're looking for family movie night content, keep scrolling.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a revenge-driven action film centered entirely on violence and killing. While John Wick operates by a code of honor, the emotional tone is dark, grim, and relentlessly violent. There's no modeling of kindness or cooperation—just stylized gunfights, stabbings, and brutal hand-to-hand combat. The pacing is chaotic in action sequences (though artfully choreographed). This is not emotionally healthy content for developing minds.

Imaginative

The John Wick franchise is genuinely creative in its world-building—the Continental Hotel, the High Table, gold coins as currency, and the elaborate assassin underworld are inventive and immersive. The fight choreography is balletic and original, particularly the overhead shots and neon-lit sequences. However, it doesn't invite audience participation or creative expression; you're watching stunning violence, not building or exploring yourself. Still, the visual imagination and originality are undeniable.

Safe

This is one of the most violent mainstream films in recent years. Hundreds of on-screen deaths, graphic headshots, stabbings, impalements, and brutal hand-to-hand combat. While there's minimal gore (it's stylized rather than grotesque), the sheer volume and intensity of violence is extreme. Common Sense Media rates it for 17+. There's no nudity or sex, but the violence alone makes this unsafe for anyone under high school age, and even then it's pushing it. This is NOT a Marvel movie—the violence is constant, graphic, and central to every scene.

Enriching

For mature viewers who appreciate cinema, there's genuine craft here: masterful cinematography, stunt coordination, and world-building. The themes of honor, consequence, and the impossibility of escape from one's past have some philosophical weight. However, the enrichment is limited—it's primarily spectacle. Older teens and adults might discuss the artistry or the cyclical nature of violence, but there's little cognitive growth or empathy-building. It's entertaining as hell for the right audience, but not particularly educational or growth-oriented.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely masterful action choreography and cinematography—this is cinema as art, even if it's violent art
The world-building of the assassin underworld is creative and immersive with its own rules and mythology
For action film enthusiasts, this is peak genre filmmaking with practical stunts and minimal CGI
Themes of honor, consequence, and the inescapability of one's past have some philosophical weight for mature viewers

⚠

What to Watch For

Extreme, relentless violence—literally hundreds of on-screen deaths via gunshots, stabbings, and brutal combat
The entire 169-minute runtime is essentially one long violent revenge quest with minimal downtime
While stylized rather than gratuitously gory, the sheer volume and intensity of killing is off the charts
This is rated R for a reason—no one under 17 should watch this, period

Conversation Starters

"What do you think the film is saying about whether violence ever actually solves problems, or just creates more?"
"The assassin world has this elaborate code of honor—does following rules make violence more 'acceptable' or is that just window dressing?"
"How does the choreography and cinematography turn violence into something almost beautiful? Is that artistic or problematic?"

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