How to watch the shocking new John Wick documentary Wick is Pain

Keanu Reeves is front and center of a brand new documentary about the trials and tribulations of the John Wick franchise’s inception. If you want to watch Wick is Pain, you’ll be pleased to know it’s dropping very soon – and you can pre-order it now. 

With four movies, The Continental prequel series, and the upcoming Ballerina spinoff, it’s hard to imagine a day when John Wick wasn’t a guaranteed box office hit. What makes this even more impressive is its risky opening that broke an unwritten Hollywood rule: killing a puppy. 

It could have flopped – or been laughed off as a straight-to-DVD revenge flick. Instead, it struck a nerve. What began as a lean, stylish genre movie quickly snowballed into one of the most beloved and influential action movie franchises of the past decade. 

Now, Reeves, director Chad Stahelski, and a whole host of crew have come together to discuss its inception, its rise to success, and how John Wick nearly never made it to our screens. 

How to watch Wick is Pain 

The John Wick documentary Wick is Pain will be available to watch on digital platforms including Prime Video from May 9, 2025. But it’s available for pre-order right now, costing $9.99 to buy. 

Alongside Amazon, you can pre-order on streaming services such as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Comcast Xfinity.

Pre-ordering guarantees instant access the moment it drops, so you won’t have to wait or risk missing out when it goes live. Plus, if the price increases after release (as it sometimes does on digital), you’ll get the better deal. 

What is the John Wick documentary about?

Lionsgate

​Wick is Pain offers an intimate look at the origins of the John Wick franchise, revealing the creative and physical challenges that nearly derailed the first film, as told by Reeves, Stahelski, and the rest of the crew. 

It also demonstrates how passion, creativity, and friendship are what helped drive the action movie to success. 

The trailer, which dropped yesterday (April 30), sees producer David Leitch say, “No better union could’ve happened in the film business than Chad and Keanu. They bleed Wick, they die Wick, and that’s why it’s so good.”

Reeves’ stunt double Jackson Spidell adds, “When you see Keanu in pain on screen, it’s probably for real.” 

As per the official synopsis, “Wick is Pain is the incredible true story behind the John Wick franchise, starring Keanu Reeves. 

Lionsgate

“In never-before-seen footage captured over a decade on and off set, the film chronicles John Wick’s journey from independent film – facing a mountain of creative, financial, and personal challenges – into a global phenomenon that redefined the action genre and launched three megahit sequels. 

“Join Keanu Reeves, director Chad Stahelski, and the extended Wick cast and crew as they go behind the scenes of this billion-dollar franchise that almost never happened.”

Speaking about the new documentary, Reeves said, “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.”

“We had an idea for a low-budget independent movie,” added Stahelski. “Looking back now, more than ten years later, it’s hard to believe what that idea became. It’s the fans that embraced the movie that made it all possible – and made all the pain a pleasure.”

For more on the hit franchise, check out every John Wick project in development, if John Wick 5 is going ahead, and the 2025 movies to get excited about.