The bulk of one of the defining cinematic mythologies of our time takes a seat next to Twilight on streaming

Get the Full StoryThroughout the history of Hollywood, many fictional heroes have seen their odysseys drift in and out of the pop culture zeitgeist, but it s the serialized plights that tend to stick out the most. From the Man with No Name and Marty McFly, to Frank Drebin and Max Rockatansky, the great cinematic protagonists and the worlds built around them have captured imaginations across generations. Arguably, the man of the current moment is John Wick, the latest and greatest of action heroes to have tucked themselves into Keanu Reeves back pocket over the course of his career. His adventures have consistently scored high with critics and ticket sales since 2014, and the train won t be stopping any time soon. Even now, he s dominating the Hulu sphere with not one, not two, but three different excursions. Per FlixPatrol, John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, and John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum are all charting together on Hulu s film rankings in the United States at the time of writing. A respective third, fourth, and 10th place finish for the noir-tinted, body-dropping epics are sizing up against the likes of Twilight sixth place , The Twilight Saga: New Moon eighth place , and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ninth place for one of the most biblical streaming wars yet. The John Wick films follow Jardani Jovonovich also known as John Wick, Baba Yaga, and The Bogeyman , a retired hitman who built himself a mythical reputation within the international assassin community. But when a group of Russian-American gangsters kill his dog, John snaps back into action and sets off on a vengeful journey, which leads to greater and greater conflict with the assassin underworld. Image via via Lionsgate The special sauce of the John Wick films lies in their elite technical prowess, rather than any true narrative brilliance. Although, it s not completely lacking in the latter department, either. There s a thesis established in the first film regarding the rules that assassins must follow, lest they be no different from bloodthirsty animals. This, of course, serves to highlight how these rules make the act of killing even more disturbing, as though murder can be justified by following the rules like a sports match, and also by carrying it out on those who break said rules. But, again, it s the way that John Wick presents itself that makes it so effective, rather than what it s presenting. Disciplined camera work and neon dystopias make for visual treat after scrumptious visual treat, and the worldbuilding always shown and never told is refreshingly organic to the point of being world-class. It helps, of course, that the world itself has so many curious bells, whistles, and backstories occupying it, and even better is how they all ultimately end up in service to John and his plight rather than anything self-indulgent. Indeed, you re never going to see a John Wick film thrive on realistic combat, sturdy intrigue, or revelatory emotions, but you ll also be hard-pressed to find a franchise that not only does what John Wick does, but accomplishes it so robustly and consistently time and time again. To channel the man himself: Good, lots of good.

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