Keanu Reeves' $86M Action Movie Gets Lots of Details About the Russian Mob Right, Except for One Myth Revealed by an Expert

Keanu Reeves' $86 million action thriller offers a very accurate depiction of the Russian mafia, except for one myth. Reeves stars as the titular assassinwho managed to build a life outside the world of the mafia. However, his peace is disturbed when he encounters someone from his old life, which forces him to return to the criminal underworld. The premise was rejected by six studios, and Reeves also helped finance the project with his own salary.

Made independently and with a budget of around US$20 to US$30 million, the film tripled its box office budget. Its success then led to three more films and a growing franchise. With gripping world-building, relentless action sequences, and a star-studded cast, the action thriller co-directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch is considered a cult classic in the crime thriller genre. The franchise has also become what Reeves is most famous for, in addition to his starring role as Neo in The Matrix film series.

John Wick Is Almost Right About the Russian Mafia, Except One Myth

John Wick is rated 7/10 for accuracy

The first John Wick The film finds Reeves' titular killer on a manhunt mission to track down the person responsible for his dog's death, during which he kills 77 men on screen, many with gunshots to the head. The original film introduces Baba Yaga and the mafia underworld, setting the tone for three more films. ONE Ballerina spinoff set in the same universe starring Ana de Armas is scheduled for release in 2025. At the same time, a Cain spin-off and John Wick 5 are also in various stages of development.

Joe Serio, former CIA agent and Russian mafia investigator, gives John Wick one Rating 7 out of 10 for realismdetailing the role of a hitman in the underworld of the Russian mafia to Insider. Seriously reveals that John Wickrepresentation of the role of an assassin is accurate. While the real-life body count is generally not as high as John Wick's, “nightclub shootings” and “bathhouses“they were normal in the 1990s and 2000s. However, the biggest myth is “shoot first and ask questions later“, which is inaccurate. Check out what he said below:

This idea of ​​a Russian assassin, a Russian assassin [is] totally realistic. Maybe not as many bodies dropped in a five-minute period as John Wick, but there were hundreds of murders committed by hitmen in the 1990s and 2000s. If you look at someone like Alexander Solonik. Alexander Solonik was the biggest name in the Russian underworld as a killer. This idea of ​​there being a Russian assassin, they had a role to play and they played it very well.

Casinos and nightclubs were some of the central centers of the Russian mafia. In the 1990s, when the Russian mafia on the streets was really big, there were shootings all the time. There would be shootings in nightclubs, shootings in the streets. I could hear gunshots regularly. There was a situation where we found a trunk full of weapons in a car in the parking lot of a nightclub.

The biggest myth that TV and movies show about the Russian mafia is that they shoot first and ask questions later, and none of that is true. They would start with negotiations, but if they got to the point where they couldn't reach an agreement, there would be shootings. If you look hitmanMotive for revenge. Shootings in nightclubs or bathrooms or anything like that, that's true. I give it about 7 out of 10.

What John Wick's Accuracy Means for the Film's Reputation

How the First Film Compares to the Three Sequels

During the first John WickAfter the film's development, where financing was in question and studios expressed concern over the death of a puppy, few would have imagined it would spawn one of the biggest and most successful action franchises of the past two decades. The first film ended up doing well with critics, however, and currently boasts an 86% approval rating. Rotten tomatoeswith the audience score also respectable at 81%. Although undoubtedly well received, Now it's actually the lowest-rated and lowest-grossing film in the franchiseas can be seen in the graph below.

John Wick may have some surprising elements of realism, but It's likely that the sequels wouldn't fare as well in terms of accuracy in real life. Wick's body count in each sequel is higher than the 77 men he kills in the first film, with the acclaimed John Wick: Chapter 4 featuring a franchise record 140 kills for Wick alone. The injuries that Wick survives throughout the four films, which include gunshot wounds and being run over by cars, also strain credulity, with his fall from a tall building at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum looking particularly lethal.

The critical and commercial response to the franchise suggests that leaving realism behind is ultimately more than good for the audiencebut the first film still remains a fun entry to return to for its slightly more grounded approach and introduction of a character who is now one of the most iconic movie killers of all time.

Our Take on John Wick's Accuracy

Most ideas come from the real world

John WickThe company's success comes, in part, weaving realism with fiction. With Wick's extremely high body count and the franchise's reputation for relentless action sequences, it's hard to believe there's any truth to this. However, Serio's comment suggests that Stahelski, Leitch, and writer Derek Kolstad may have taken more inspiration from real life than audiences realize.

There are many interesting details in John Wickand many of them have real life ties. For example, the gold coins that John Wick uses to pay for his stay at the Continental are partially based on reality. Some members of the criminal underworld choose to use diamonds and their own currency to avoid leaving a paper trail. The Ruska Roma also refers to the real Russian clan that consisted of over 200,000 people, while the Continental, with its rules of non-violence, is inspired by Switzerland.

Source: Insider/YouTube