Pretty Lethal is a bloody, hilarious, coming of age story that showcases the brutal strength of women and the power of teamwork.
Pretty Lethal is a freaking blast – a high-octane, blood-soaked reminder that the discipline required to master the stage is the exact same discipline required to survive a massacre. As someone who loves seeing a film lean into the sheer capability of women, this movie hit every mark. All too often, society paints women – especially ballerinas – as fragile creatures. Pretty Lethal takes that stereotype, snaps its neck, and does a pirouette over the remains.
In this film, five ballerinas find themselves stranded in a remote forest, forced to take shelter at a roadside inn that feels off from the second they walk through the door. But the movie doesn’t waste time on brooding atmosphere, it hits the ground running almost immediately. It details what happens when your back is against the wall and your only tools are years of ballet training and an unbreakable bond with your teammates – even if you often bicker.
What I love most about Pretty Lethal is the choreography. It feels reminiscent of the John Wick franchise in the best way possible. The environment is a weapon in those films as well as in this one. At the same time, the girls’ own bodies become the tools of destruction. We’re talking creative, nasty kills that utilize their unique skill sets. Seeing a character fasten a blade to the end of their pointe shoe to slice an attacker’s neck open is pure cinematic joy. Give me all the creative kills. Please and thank you.
This film’s choreography is insane. The stunt team deserves a massive standing ovation. They bring a level of poise and intentionality to the violence that you just don’t see in standard action flicks. The young actresses trained in dance and fight choreography for five weeks prior to filming, and that dedication to detail is apparent when watching the film.
While the big reveal is admittedly predictable, Pretty Lethal is still a really fun watch. The entire ensemble cast (Avantika, Lana Condor, Maddie Ziegler, Millicent Simmonds, and Iris Apatow) are brilliant. They are a lot of fun together and feel like a real dance team. They bring their A-game over and over, sure to deliver scenes that will have viewers both laughing and gasping.
That said, Maddie Ziegler is the undeniable heartbeat of the film. Most of us recognize her from Dance Moms, but Pretty Lethal proves she is a formidable actress in her own right. She isn’t just there to look graceful and fill the role of a dance, her character is the heart of the story and she delivers an incredible performance.
Avantika continues to prove she is a comedic powerhouse. After her hilarious role as Karen in Mean Girls, she brings that same impeccable timing here, providing much-needed levity amidst the gore. She’s funny, yes, but she also kicks serious butt, balancing the action-comedy tone perfectly.
All of that to say, I went in hoping for a bit more physical action from Uma Thurman. Having watched her redefine the female action lead in Kill Bill, I wanted to see her swinging a blade and kicking butt again. However, I still appreciate what she did with this role. Her power isn’t in a roundhouse kick but rather in her unparalleled boldness and an intimidating attitude that has everyone around her terrified to cross her. She dominates every scene she’s in through sheer presence alone.
At its core, Pretty Lethal is a story about teamwork. Seeing these young women learn to work together and lean on each other’s strengths is something young audiences can actually look up to. It’s a movie that celebrates the fact that girly things – like dance, grace, and community – are not weaknesses. They are weapons.
Pretty Lethal is bloody, violent, and absolutely hilarious. Without spoilers, the final sequence is stunning, and really makes this cute yet crazy coming of age type story something worth watching. It is a shame this is going straight to streaming, because it plays extremely well in a theater where no one knows what wild kill will happen next.
About Pretty Lethal
An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, stranded in a remote forest, take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn. They must weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.
Pretty Lethal played at SXSW 2026.
NEXT: SXSW 2026: 20 Films That We Cannot Wait To See
Pretty Lethal is a bloody, hilarious, coming of age story that showcases the brutal strength of women and the power of teamwork.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.