In classic John Wick fashion, Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro takes on many, many enemies in Ballerina. Most of these enemies are part of a group referred to as the Cult, which has a unique relationship with the families that serve under the High Table. By the end of Ballerina, Eve actually needs John Wick’s help to successfully complete her revenge mission. Eve’s struggles in the movie set it apart from the other John Wick films, as she is clearly not as skilled as Keanu Reeves’ iconic character.

After watching the highly skilled John Wick take down hundreds of enemies across four movies, this is a refreshing change for the franchise. As such, reviews for Ballerina have been quite solid. Screen Rant’s own Rachel Labonte gave the movie a 6 out of 10, so it’s definitely not getting as much praise as the other John Wick films, but it is still a very entertaining action movie, nonetheless. I would love to see de Armas return for a sequel in the coming years, but for now, let’s examine the Cult, the group that Eve fights in Ballerina.

The Cult’s Role In Ballerina & Who Is Involved

Eve’s Father, Mother, & Sister Were All Members Of The Cult

The Cult is introduced right at the beginning of Ballerina, when Eve is still a child. During the movie’s prologue, it is revealed that Eve’s father left the Cult behind and brought her with him. It seems like they lived a peaceful life for a little bit of time, but the Cult, who are led by Gabriel Byrne’s the Chancellor, eventually track them down. One night, several members of the Cult break into their home and attack Eve’s father. He puts up a good fight and, with the help of Eve, takes out all the ᴀssᴀssins sent to kill him.

However, Eve’s father is injured in the fight and eventually succumbs to his wounds. After this tragic death, the movie jumps 12 years into the future and shows Eve training with the Ruska Roma. For years, Anjelica Huston’s the Director purposely chose not to tell Eve about the group that her father was part of, but she is obviously curious. After spotting an “X” on the wrist of someone who attacks her and connecting it back to the night her father died, Eve decides to set out on her own to track down the Cult and kill its leader.

Eve’s hunt for the Cult leads her to a mountain town in Europe. After arriving in the snow-covered town, she quickly learns that every resident is a member of the Cult. In the second half of the film, Eve continuously has to fight her way through the town while she searches for the Chancellor. This actually leads to the reveal that Eve’s older sister, Lena, is still alive and has been a loyal member of the Cult for years. After reuniting with each other, the Chancellor ruthlessly orders his men to kill them both.

Just before this, Lena reveals that Eve’s father didn’t take her away from the Cult because she had already been trained as an ᴀssᴀssin and had killed somebody. Unfortunately, Eve’s time with her sister is cut short, since Lena dies when the Chancellor’s men throw grenades into the house that they were talking in. After this, throughout the climax of the film, Eve continues to kill members of the Cult, with the help of John Wick, until she eventually finds and kills the Chancellor, a decision which will definitely shake up the power structure of the group.

The Cult Has Been Around For 1,000 Years In John Wick’s Universe

The Cult Has Existed As Long As The High Table

Since Ballerina mostly focuses on Eve’s current revenge mission against the Cult, not many details about the group’s history are revealed in the film. However, it is made clear that the Cult has been around for a long, long time. This group has existed in the world of John Wick for around 1000 years, which means it is as old as the High Table. This means that, just like the High Table, the Cult existed during the time of the Roman Empire and has survived through several other significant eras of history.

The fact that the Cult has been around for so long makes it more impressive that Eve is able to fight her way through the town and kill the Chancellor. Even though the Chancellor is killed by Eve, the Cult will likely still remain a unified group. Therefore, since it has a history that dates back as far as the High Table, the remaining members of the group will likely find a way to gain back the Cult’s strength. This means that the group could return in a Ballerina sequel or a future John Wick project.

How The Cult Is Connected To The High Table

The Cult Doesn’t Follow The High Table’s Rules

Since the Cult has existed for practically as long as the High Table, it makes sense that the two organizations have a working relationship. Even though the Cult does not serve the High Table and its members do not follow the same rules, they are still welcome to stay at Continental H๏τels across the world. As Winston explains to Eve before she sets out on her revenge mission, the organizations that serve the High Table welcome members of the Cult with open arms so that they can keep tabs on the actions of the unpredictable group.

As is seen near the end of Ballerina, the Director, who runs the Ruska Roma, also knows the Chancellor. While speaking to each other on the phone, the Chancellor actually threatens to declare war on the Ruska Roma. This is something that the Director wants to avoid, which proves that families which serve the High Table are still very afraid of the Cult. Therefore, while the Cult ᴀssociates with the High Table and the many crime organizations that serve under it, the group operates quite differently and has its own set of rules, which makes it very dangerous.

The Cult’s Future In John Wick After Ballerina

Will The Cult Return After Ballerina?

After killing the Chancellor, Eve takes Ella and leaves the Cult’s town. After making sure Ella is reunited with her father at the end of Ballerina, Eve returns to New York. In the film, she successfully gets revenge for the deaths of her father and sister, but it’s teased that the Cult will continue to come after her. Therefore, if a sequel to Ballerina is made, it’s likely that the Cult will once again play a prominent role.

Based on this tease at the end of the movie, it’s possible that Eve will constantly be fighting the Cult in future Ballerina movies, just like John Wick fought against the High Table in the franchise’s mainline films. Now that Eve has a bounty on her head, members of the Cult will be even more motivated to hunt her down and try to kill her. Therefore, it seems like the Cult will return if a sequel to Ballerina is made, which means more details about the group’s history could be revealed in future movies.