‘Pretty Lethal’ VOD Review (Amazon Prime)
Stars: Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Lydia Leonard, Avantika, Millicent Simmonds, Iris Apatow, Julian Krenn, Uma Thurman | Written by Kate Freund | Directed by Vicky Jewson
Directed by Vicky Jewson and starring Uma Thurman and reality star turned Sia music video muse Maddie Ziegler, Pretty Lethal is one of those films where the central idea will make or break the entire experience. If you can buy into it – or at least roll with it – there’s some daft, B-movie fun to be had. If not, this is going to be a tough watch.
The film follows a troupe of ballerinas en route to a performance in Budapest whose journey goes spectacularly wrong. A rerouted flight leads to a bus journey, which leads to a breakdown, which leads to them stumbling across a rundown hotel in the middle of nowhere. Naturally, that hotel just happens to be crawling with Eastern European gangsters, led by Thurman’s former-ballerina-turned-crime-boss. From there, it’s a fight for survival as these dancers are forced to use their skills in ways they probably didn’t learn at rehearsal.
And yes, that’s exactly as ridiculous as it sounds.
The core gimmick – ballerinas using their flexibility, agility and choreography as a substitute for traditional combat – is pure schlock, but it’s also where the film finds its identity. High kicks, spins and coordinated group attacks become the film’s version of fight choreography, complete with the added insanity of weaponised ballet shoes. It’s the kind of idea that absolutely requires a suspension of disbelief, but if you’re willing to meet it halfway, it does deliver some genuinely fun moments.
Visually, Pretty Lethal leans into that contrast. The grimy, slightly seedy Eastern European setting, reminiscent of films like Hostel, pairs oddly well with the image of tutu-clad dancers fighting for their lives. There’s even a tongue-in-cheek in-story reason for why they’re stuck in full costume, which at least shows the film is aware of how absurd it all looks. Add in a roster of suitably dodgy-looking gangsters, tattoos, mullets and all, and the aesthetic does a decent job of selling the world, even if it’s all a bit surface-level.
To its credit, the film is slickly put together. It has that polished streaming-movie sheen, and while it never quite feels cinematic, it doesn’t look cheap either. The cast all do a solid enough job too, even if they’re working with fairly broad, stereotype-driven characters. You’ve got the scrappy underdog, the entitled rich girl, the various flavours of generic criminals—all functional, but hardly memorable.
Thurman, meanwhile, makes for a serviceable central antagonist. She’s not heavily involved in the action, but her presence alone adds a bit of weight, especially given her history with action roles. There’s even a hint of internal conflict within the criminal ranks, though it never goes particularly deep.
Where Pretty Lethal struggles is in its logic and how much you’re willing to overlook. For a hotel supposedly full of dangerous criminals, there’s a noticeable lack of actual threat when it comes down to it. Characters make baffling decisions, prisoners aren’t dealt with when they probably should be, and the absence of something as simple as firearms in key moments feels more like convenience than choice. It’s very much a “so the plot can happen” kind of film.
The action, while entertaining in concept, also lacks real impact. There’s an early moment that lands well, but beyond that, the violence feels a bit too lightweight, never quite committing to the brutality the setup suggests. It keeps things firmly in that bubblegum action territory, which works to a point but does limit its overall punch.
Ultimately, Pretty Lethal is a throwaway action movie that lives and dies on its premise. It’s silly, it’s far-fetched, and it knows it. If you’re on board with that going in, there’s enough here to keep you entertained for its runtime. Just don’t expect anything deeper than that.
*** 3/5
Pretty Lethal is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.
