Pretty Lethal [Movie Review]

Pretty Lethal [Movie Review] | I was on the fence at first. It felt like it might be a bit tacky, but after seeing some positive reviews on Threads, I decided to give it a shot.

Did I make the right call?

SYNOPSIS

Pretty Lethal (2026) Trivia

• Starring: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler & Uma Thurman
• Director: Vicky Jewson
• Producer: Kelly McCormick, Mike Karz, William Bindley & Piers Tempest
• Production Company: 87North Productions & Gulfstream Pictures
• Distributed by: Amazon MGM Studios (via Prime Video)
• Release date: March 25, 2026
• Running time: 88 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: United States & United Kingdom
• Language: English
• IMDb: 5.8/ 10
• Tomatometer: 57%
• Metascore: 51%
• The final film differs vastly from its 2023 pitch; originally set to star Lena Headey and Isabela Merced, production delays led to their exit, clearing the path for the current ensemble.
• The director prioritized casting actors with physical or dancing backgrounds. 
• Millicent Simmonds successfully lobbied for her character, Chloe, to be portrayed as Deaf, leading Director Vicky Jewson to utilize immersive sound design. Simmonds uniquely integrated sign language into her fight choreography, while co-star Iris Apatow learned ASL to play her hearing sister, Zoe.

The story begins with a training session for a Los Angeles-based ballet troupe whose dream trip is to a prestigious competition in Budapest. These ballerinas are very cutthroat about their dreams and would do anything to achieve it. Led by the resilient Bones, the group includes the socialite Princess, the devout Grace and sisters Zoe and Chloe. Under the watchful eye of their instructor, Thorna Devonport, the girls find themselves stranded in a dense Hungarian forest after their bus breaks down.

Seeking refuge, they stumble upon the Teremok Inn, a performance art-themed hotel managed by the enigmatic Devora Kasimer, a legendary prima ballerina with a dark past. The girls trade their rain-soaked clothes for delicate tutus, unaware of what awaits behind the hotel doors. The illusion of safety shatters when Thorna witnesses Devora’s sons torturing a victim. Before they can escape, the ruthless gangster Pasha Marcovic executes Thorna in cold blood, dragging the dancers into a twisted underworld of crime bosses and "Cleaners".

Trapped in the basement and stripped of their belongings, the ballerinas realize that their survival depends on the very discipline that defined their lives. They don't just fight; they perform. In a stunning display of "ballet-combat," the girls transform their training into a lethal weapon. With razor blades taped to their fingertips and tucked into their pointe shoes, they navigate a hotel rigged with C-4 explosives, taking down henchmen with rhythmic precision.

As the infamous crime boss Lothar "The Butcher" Marcovic closes in to collect a debt that cost Devora her career and her leg, the lines between victim and villain blur. Devora, draped in her prized tutu and fueled by decades of resentment, prepares for a final, explosive performance that will bring the house down literally. The girls must choose between their individual survival and the bond of the troupe as the clock ticks toward a fiery crescendo.

The girls survived the ordeal.

Can the girls still chase and achieve their dreams after the deadly ordeal?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• The ballerina combat sequences are beautiful.    
• Love the action sequences in the movie - something new I would say.   

What I Don't Like:

• The script needs tweaking (a lot).
• Not the best performance of Uma's. 

Will I Watch It Again: I would, but not on my go-to list. 

Overall: 3.9/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

#PrettyLethal #Action #Thriller #RawlinsGLAM #RawlinsLifestyle #MovieReviewbyRawlins