'Pretty Lethal' Review: Plié, Punch and Pivot, a Ballerina Guide to the Art of the Kill
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By Shauna Bushe - March 25, 2026
Pretty Lethal takes the concept of elegance and violence to the absolute limit, presenting a story where the high discipline of performance becomes the ultimate weapon for survival.
The film follows a group of elite performers whose lives have been defined by the pursuit of perfection. They are young, competitive, and deeply divided by petty rivalries and the pressure of the spotlight. However, when their tour bus is forced off the road in a remote, hostile environment, the petty bickering of the rehearsal hall is replaced by the cold reality of life and death.
Pretty Lethal has a snappy runtime, however, it feels squandered by a lacklustre premise which doesn’t offer much beyond its well-choreographed, theatrical performances from our main ballerinas. Bones (Maddie Ziegler) is the reluctant leader, Princess (Lana Condor) is the underestimated rival, Chloe (Millicent Simmonds) is the silent observer, Grace (Avantika) is the wild card and Zoe (Iris Apatow) is the emotional presence. Together they are massively mismatched but the competition, banter and girl power between them saves the film. They relentlessly kick ass, cut throats (literally) and twirl around, looking god damn gorgeous doing it.
At the centre of the trap is Devora (Uma Thurman), her character is defined by the ghosts of her past. As a former star whose career was cut short by injury and bitterness, she now resides in a criminal enterprise. Uma’s performance is cold, a masterclass in controlled menace. She doesn’t need to shout to be terrifying, she simple occupies her space with a predatory grace. Her interaction with the young protagonists is laced with a twisted mentorship and a killer instinct.
The action sequences are the films stand out feature. Every style of combat is met with a rhythmic motion, specifically when the Nutcracker plays out in the background. This act feels like a full-on theatre show but replaced with blood and guns instead of a production design. The camera does well to follow the flowing dance moves, focusing on the pointed toes, the sharp postures and bruised physique, highlighting the haunting beauty in where every movement has to be timed perfectly or the result is a total failure.
In the end, Pretty Lethal is a visceral reminder that strength often hides behind a mask of grace. While the middle of the film drags slightly as the group wanders the darkened corridors of the estate, the explosive finale more than makes up for the lull. It is a film about reclaiming one's body and agency through the very skills that were once used to domesticate and control them. It’s sharp, stylish, and remarkably unapologetic about its brutality. By the time the credits roll, you realize that while the title suggests they are "pretty," the "lethal" part was always the point.
'Pretty Lethal' is now streaming on Prime Video.
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