The Performance of a Lifetime—Literally
In the increasingly crowded sub-genre of “unassuming women turned tactical killing machines,” director Vicky Jewson’s Pretty Lethal (2026) arrives with a certain stylized swagger. It’s a film that asks a singular, absurd question: What if a pirouette could decapitate a mobster? While the film doesn’t always land on its toes, it provides enough visceral “ballet-fu” to justify its existence on Prime Video, even if the script occasionally feels like it’s suffering from a stress fracture.
The narrative follows a fractured ensemble of Los Angeles-based ballerinas—played by a “who’s who” of Gen Z talent including Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, and Avantika—who find themselves in the literal backwoods of Hungary. When their bus breaks down en route to a prestigious Budapest competition, they seek refuge at the Teremok Inn. Enter Uma Thurman’s Devora Kasimer, a former prima ballerina turned crime matriarch with a prosthetic leg and a massive chip on her shoulder. What begins as a rain-soaked detour quickly devolves into a localized war when the girls’ instructor is executed, leaving the troupe to fight their way out of a basement using nothing but their discipline and some conveniently placed razor blades.
Choreography as Combat
The film’s greatest strength lies in its refusal to abandon its premise. Unlike last year’s Ballerina, which teased dance but delivered standard gunplay, Pretty Lethal fully weaponizes the art form. “Inside every ballerina’s heart beats the blood of a warrior,” narrates Ziegler’s character, Bones, and the film takes this literally. The action, handled by the veterans at 87 North, is spectacular. We see the girls use their flexibility to squeeze into impossible spaces and their pointe shoes—outfitted with blades—to perform “the most death-dealing dress rehearsal” ever filmed.
The centerpiece—a grueling performance of The Nutcracker where every leap is a strike and every spin is a slash—is a triumph of production design and stunt coordination. Watching these athletes turn “pain into beauty and chaos into precision” provides a high-octane thrill that masks the screenplay’s thinner moments.
A Cast En Pointe, A Script Off-Beat
Performance-wise, the film is a mixed bag. Maddie Ziegler continues to prove she is a physical powerhouse, though her dramatic range is still catching up to her athleticism. Lana Condor steals every scene she’s in, successfully shedding her “girl next door” image to play the entitled, biting “Princess.” However, the script by Kate Freund often falls into tired archetypes. We have the “rich bitch,” the “religious girl,” and the “tough loner,” with dialogue that occasionally creaks under the weight of cliché.
Uma Thurman is clearly having the time of her life, channeling a vampy, “Norma Desmond-esque” energy. Yet, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity; one wishes the film allowed her to engage more directly in the physical mayhem rather than just presiding over it.
The Final Verdict
Ultimately, Pretty Lethal is a gorgeous-looking film with a “John Wick-lite” aesthetic—think neon teals and blood-spattered tutus—but it lacks the narrative depth to be a true classic. It is a “so-bad-it’s-good” contender that succeeds when it leans into its own absurdity and fails when it tries to be a serious meditation on the “material decline of the live arts.”
If you’re looking for a brisk, 90-minute revenge romp that treats ballet with the same tactical respect as Krav Maga, Pretty Lethal is a solid Friday night stream. Just don’t expect a standing ovation for the writing.
CINEMA SPICE RATING: ★★★ (3/5)