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| [L-R]: Avantika as GRACE, Maddie Ziegler as BONES, Iris Apatow as ZOE, Millicent Simmonds as CHLOE in PRETTY LETHAL |
In 2025, BALLERINA, starring Ana de Armas, came out about an assassin trained at an elite dancing school. I reviewed the film positively but felt bummed that the filmmakers missed an opportunity to create fight scenes that fused dance and combat. Fairy Godmother Vicky Jewson has made my wishes come true in PRETTY LETHAL, an action thriller with combative choreography and an ensemble cast.
Bones (Maddie Ziegler) is part of an elite dance troupe lead by Thorna Davenport (Lydia Leonard), which includes wealthy Princess (Lana Condor), religious Grace (Avantika), and ASL-communicating sisters Zoe (Iris Apatow) and Chloe (Millicent Simmonds). Ms. Davenport is taking them to perform in the Budapest Showcase, which could be life changing for the girls, but petty squabbles and power struggles keep them from working together at peak shape. When their bus breaks down with no phone service, the group takes shelter and looks for help at the Teremok Inn.At first they feel heartened and intrigued to meet the inn's owner, Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman). A retired ballerina who had to quit due to an injury, Devora's inn is an homage to ballet and her heyday as a dancer. But it's also a hub for criminal activity. When one of the crew witnesses a horrific tongue branding, the group is selected for elimination. They will have to set aside their differences and work together to survive the night and escape unscathed.
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| Iris Apatow as ZOE, Avantika as GRACE in PRETTY LETHAL |
PRETTY LETHAL delivers just what one would hope from an action thriller: wise-cracking dialogue, creative battles, and a satisfying conclusion. Credited casting director Jenny Jue (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, SNOWPIERCER) has truly assembled the perfect corps de ballet. Of course, DANCE MOMS veteran Maddie Ziegler is uniquely trained to for this role. She understands the pressure put on dancers and the abuse the body endures and brings a wealth of experience to the cast. Lana Condor (TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE) and Avantika (MEAN GIRLS 2024) both have backgrounds in dance and appropriately angst-driven acting credits. As a deaf actress, Millicent Simmonds offers a unique skill set that screenwriter Kate Freund integrates into the plot. Simmonds' character Chloe communicates with her sister Zoe (Apatow) through sign language, which they use to their advantage when trying to fool their foes. Viewers who aren't deaf can use the captions to snoop on their conversations and appreciate the clever ways Jewson and Freund let the sisters shine. Casting Uma Thurman in a rare role as an antagonist with a sympathetic backstory needs no defense. She can do anything, and her presence on screen is a delight in ways I won't spoil.
Production designer Zsusa Kismarty-Lechner (BORDERLANDS; RED SPARROW) clearly has a blast creating the den of iniquity known as Teremok Inn. Like a Toulouse-Lautrec painting blended with John Wick's Continental Hotel, green and red neon lighting adds a devilish glow to the shady activities taking place. Meanwhile Devora's need to live in the world of the Nutcracker only adds to the madness, with ballet paraphernalia covering almost every square inch of the walls. The combination of a French brothel combined with a the equivalent of a ballet Barbie collection creates an offbeat backdrop prefect for some madcap dance shenanigans to take place.
The full extent of criminal activity is never fully explored. We just know that Devora inherited this business from her father and that she's been biding her time to get revenge on the man who ruined her life. For the most part, besides Devora, the bad guys play the role of village idiots. They are just vessels that the girls can dispose of in creative ways. Once the first violent act takes place, it's only a matter of time before the dancers will face off against the mindless thugs. "These guys are drunk and out of shape," cries Bones, "and we're prima f–ing ballerinas!" We already know who's going to win, but that doesn't mean it's not a ton of fun to watch.
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| Uma Thurman as DEVORA KASIMER in PRETTY LETHAL |
Action films go from good to great when they make smart use of their subject material and their performers in crafting believable setups for their characters. We see these girls use their flexibility to get their hands untied and a propensity to vomit to quickly dull the effects of drugs. The stunt team certainly outdid itself in crafting fight scenes that make creative use of ballet accoutrement: hairpins, X-acto knives, and tiaras. The fights are definitely the highlight of the film, plus the girls' interactions with one another.
PRETTY LETHAL is solidly pro-dancer and pro-female. Dancers can be very misunderstood. People who have never known stepped up to the barre see lovely poses and pretty dresses, but the life of a dancer is far from idyllic. Movies like BLACK SWAN have raised awareness of the physical toll ballet takes on the body, but that's just part of the story. The competition is fierce, and imposter syndrome looms large. Our lead character of Bones has a huge case of imposter syndrome. Early on, she tells her teacher that she doesn't fit in because "ballet is a rich bitch sport." She's there on scholarship and is dependent on Princess' mom to fund her fees. Jewson could have made this a final girl movie, but instead, she highlights the power of girls working together. There's only one prima ballerina, but it's the corps who can make or break the show.
Bones may not be rich, but it's her leadership and loyalty that keep the girls alive. While this girl power film is wickedly fun, it's also a good reminder that us girls need to stick together. This world wants to pit us against each other. We are conditioned to compare each other by looks, body size, talent, salary, home decor, and a whole host of other material attributes. We damage each other and ourselves when we see others as targets we need to look better than. Jewson reminds us that we can help each other to soar through mutual respect and an assisted lift.
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| [L-R]: Avantika as GRACE, Millicent Simmonds as CHLOE, Iris Apatow as ZOE in PRETTY LETHAL |
Screening in its World Premiere during SXSW 2026 in the Headliner section. See film details page for more information. https://schedule.sxsw.com/2026/films/2241758
Final score: 3.5 out of 5
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