Vicky Jewson’s Pretty Lethal opens with a mantra: “Inside every ballerina’s heart beats the blood of a warrior.” The punchy thriller then goes on to prove this tenfold.
After a ballet troupe’s instructor is killed on their trip to a prestigious dance showcase, the ballerinas must fight to survive through increasing violence, blood, sweat and sacrifice.
This results in a bloody, tutu-filled affair that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats when they’re not dancing along to ‘90s needledrops that plead “Everybody Dance Now.”
Dance Moms’ Maddie Ziegler has a particularly standout performance as “Bones,” a rougher take on the stereotypical ballerina, with a septum piercing and penchant for middle fingers to match, writes Film News Blitz’s Sarah Sharp.
Why are these ballerinas so killer?
Pretty Lethal was released on Prime Video on 25 March 2026 with a thrilling and eccentric premise.
It dares to ask the question: what happens when one deserts five ballerinas (who aren’t very fond of each other) in a remote inn in Hungary, kills off their instructor, and makes them fight off the attackers who now want them dead?
The answer is…a lot of fun. While not the most grounded, this film has a whole lot of guts (and gore).
After working through their (very understandable) terror, the ballerinas use their adrenaline, grit, and pointe-d flexibility to take down a team of Hungarian criminals in what becomes a dance for their freedom.
Maddie Ziegler’s rebellious Bones is joined by: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’s Lana Condor as the “rich bitch” Princess, Mean Girls’ musical’s Avantika Vandanapu as Grace, as well as Iris Apatouw and A Quiet Place’s Millicent Simmonds as sisters, Zoe and Chloe.
Armed with box-cutter pointe shoes, begrudging teamwork, and of course, the ability to lose toenails without blinking, these girls become characters you can’t help but root for.
The big bad sugar plum fairy
One cannot talk about Pretty Lethal without mentioning the icon that is Uma Thurman.
Thurman takes on the role of the inn owner, Devora Kasimer, a once-ballerina turned criminal mastermind.
As is made abundantly clear to the dancers, “Disobey Devora, she take your tongue.”
She is not one to be messed with, especially when donning her white face paint, tutu, and pointe shoes for “one last dance.”
Devora is the perfect antagonist for this film – dripping with mystery and panache that allows her to complain about there being blood on her floors instead of murder itself.
(Spoiler) Ultimately, she has her swan song, allowing the girls to escape, then blowing up the crime family also responsible for cutting her ballet career short.
Rhythm is a dancer
What makes Pretty Lethal such a fun watch is how well it knows exactly what it is.
This is not the film to tune into if you’re looking for a realistic dance drama, but it is what you put on when you want a fast, flashy action thriller where you get to watch a very literal dance battle.
It is camp in its purest form, where the chaîné and developpé are both ballet moves and fighting techniques.
With its just less than 90-minute runtime, the film keeps a snappy pace. Forgoing particularly in-depth characterisation, it leans into theatricality and flair. A particular highlight is the ballet troupe’s Nutcracker dance/fight sequence.
Ballet is performance and action, and ultimately, that is exactly what this film is.
Audiences are sure to be left exhilarated and with a newfound respect for being “a balle-fucking-rina.”
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