Before Ballerina, Ana De Armas Appeared In Two Very Different Movies With Keanu Reeves

This post contains spoilers for "Ballerina."

Len Wiseman's "Ballerina" understands that stylistic action is its most important quality. Whenever Eve (Ana de Armas) beats up her unusual villains during her quest for revenge (even using grenades to fight her way out at one point), "Ballerina" blossoms, giving us the impression that it truly belongs in the world of "John Wick." Everything else, however, is rather lackluster, even when John Wick (Keanu Reeves) himself shows up to aid Eve in her mission. Of course, watching Reeves in action is always a welcome sight, especially when his Wick veers into morally complex extremes. However, the character's presence in this time period (which takes place between the third and fourth "Wick" film) feels more jarring than plausible, evoking tonal confusion even when the Eve/Wick team keeps things interesting enough.

While Wick's presence in "Ballerina" feels tacked on, it is admittedly intriguing to watch him being approached by Eve for advice, and see him play a larger role in her story later on. Wick is hardly the kind of guy who preaches restraint, but perhaps he sees parts of himself in Eve, whom he asks to leave after being sent to assassinate her. But Eve isn't the kind of person to give up so easily, which is why we are treated to an inevitable brawl between the two. Wick loses, only to return and aid Eve the best he can, where he snipes her foes left and right before they can blink. If this surprise dynamic had been given more time to develop, we could've had a more compelling collision between two assassins at distinct stages of their individual trajectories.

"Ballerina" isn't the first film featuring Reeves and de Armas, as the duo have previously worked together in "Exposed" and "Knock Knock," two thrillers that are tonally different from each other and from anything related to the "John Wick" universe. Let's take a closer look at these movies. 

First up is Eli Roth's "Knock Knock," which is supposed to be inspired by 1977's "Death Game," an exploitation thriller that tackles discomfiting themes without tact. Roth's interpretation of the story isn't complex or nuanced, per se, but it does wield a satirical edge that helps gloss over the more unsavory aspects of the plot. In "Knock Knock," a middle-aged architect named Evan (Reeves) is suddenly surprised by two young women who show up on his doorstep during a thunderstorm, and he lets them inside his house so that they can use his phone. These women, Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Armas), flirt with the married Evan, and he initially seems to be more interested in helping them get home as soon as possible. As the night progresses, though, he gives in to temptation, but this transgression escalates into something deeply disturbing the morning after.

In keeping with Roth's signature brand of filmmaking (which seems better suited to low-budget, pulpy horror anyway), "Knock Knock" devolves into trashy satire very quickly, but lacks the restraint or finesse required for excellence. The fact that the film was marketed as a conventional erotic thriller didn't do it any favors, as folks were either completely taken aback or unimpressed by the over-the-top satirical bent in the second half. The ending is also frustratingly vapid, but if you want to see de Armas in her first English-speaking role (alongside Reeves acting in an unhinged premise), "Knock Knock" might be worth a shot.

Next up, there was "Exposed," in which NYPD Detective Galban (Reeves) stumbles upon a parallel case involving a mysterious woman named Isabel (Armas) while investigating the death of his partner, Detective Cullen (Danny Hoch). The world of "Exposed" is gritty and dreary, until it is suddenly transformed into a surreal landscape with the possible involvement of aliens (!!!) and other incomprehensible nonsense. Even though there are glimmers of a procedural-driven tale that could've been riveting under the right circumstances, "Exposed" is too dull and fragmented for its own good. Both Reeves and de Armas do what they can with what little they've been given, but these performances are too one-note to revitalize such a grim premise.

"Knock Knock" and "Exposed" are both currently available to stream on Prime Video.