"When you see Keanu in pain onscreen, it's probably for real," says Jackson Spidell, the legendary actor’s stunt double in the John Wick series. And with that sobering line from Wick Is Pain, the new behind-the-scenes documentary that drops on digital platforms May 9, fans get a clear sense of what this isn’t just another movie making-of. This is an unflinching look into the physical, emotional, and creative toll that forged one of modern cinema’s most beloved action franchises.
Wick Is Pain pulls back the curtain on the Continental’s hidden struggles
Directed by Jeffrey Doe, Wick Is Pain is more than a tribute—it’s a reckoning. Featuring candid interviews with Keanu Reeves, director and co-producer Chad Stahelski, and the entire warrior crew of filmmakers and stunt performers behind the John Wick saga, the documentary dives deep into the blood-soaked journey from a near-forgotten 2014 indie film to a billion-dollar phenomenon. It’s a trip inside the Continental Hotel, and more importantly, inside the hearts and bodies of the people who built this world one brutal takedown at a time.
What stands out most is how the film doesn’t glamorize the action. Instead, it revels in the grit. There’s footage of Reeves grinding through injuries, pushing his body to the brink—and beyond. Stahelski’s team wanted authenticity, and they got it. So much so that Stahelski himself once hit Reeves with a car during filming. The pain was real. The commitment was next-level. And the results? Iconic.
The franchise that redefined action cinema almost never happened
One of the most powerful threads running through Wick Is Pain is the origin story of the original John Wick film. As Reeves and Stahelski recount, the first movie was almost a ghost project—struggling for financing, shelved as an independent idea with no one sure it would catch fire. It wasn’t until Lionsgate stepped in after acquiring Summit Entertainment that the sparks ignited. What began as a low-budget concept starring a grieving hitman with a love for his dog became the blueprint for a new era of action filmmaking.
“We had an idea for a low-budget independent movie,” Stahelski reflects. “Looking back now, more than ten years later, it’s hard to believe what that idea became.” And that’s the heart of this documentary: a testament to perseverance, vision, and the crazy faith of a fanbase that embraced John Wick from day one.
Behind every bullet and punch is a story of relentless passion
Producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee don’t mince words when they say they’ve never worked harder on any movie series. Every scene in John Wick is engineered for impact, and getting that perfect shot meant long hours, endless rewrites, and more broken bones than anyone’s counting. “Producing a movie is always long hours and stressful times,” Iwanyk says, “but John Wick turned that up to the max—and because we survived, that’s what made the movies so gratifying.”
David Leitch, who co-produced the films alongside Stahelski, calls it a life-changing experience. “We had been waiting for the opportunity to show our vision of what action filmmaking could be,” he says. “This film and this character gave us that opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Wick.”
This is more than a documentary—it’s a love letter to creative endurance
Jeffrey Doe’s direction keeps the film grounded. There are no dramatic reenactments, no over-the-top hype—just honest reflection from a team that stuck to their guns, even when the odds were stacked against them. “Keep it honest,” Stahelski said to Doe at the start of the project. And that’s exactly what Wick Is Pain delivers.
Josh Oreck, one of the producers, shares a personal connection that adds weight to the story. He met Keanu and Chad nearly three decades ago, training in a run-down warehouse for what would become The Matrix. Watching their journey to John Wick, he calls it a “masterclass in filmmaking”—one filled with “wild-ass thinking, agony, and resilience.”
Wick Is Pain lets fans revel in the glory—and the scars—of the Wick legacy
For fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the John Wick universe—whether it’s Ballerina hitting theaters this June, the upcoming Chapter 5, or the Under the High Table series in development—this documentary is a must-watch. Not just as a retrospective, but as a celebration of what it means to create something real in a world full of noise.
Keanu Reeves sums it up best: “I’m excited to share and be a part of taking fans behind the curtain on the extraordinary journey of making the John Wick films.” And now, with Wick Is Pain, that curtain is pulled back all the way.
It’s messy. It’s brutal. It’s passionate. And it’s exactly what John Wick fans have been waiting for.