Pretty Lethal review: An Unintentional Parody That Trips Over Its Own Head
There is a fine line between a deliberate genre parody and a film that becomes a joke by accident. Unfortunately, director Vicky Jewson’s latest "action-thriller," Pretty Lethal, falls squarely into the latter category. Instead of a pulse-pounding survival story, we are left with a nonsensical mess that inadvertently mocks the very genre it tries to inhabit.
The film centers on a ballet troupe of five young women competing for a singular, coveted solo spot. The group is anchored by the constantly bickering Bones (Maddie Ziegler) and Princess (Lana Condor), rounded out by Chloe (Millicent Simmonds), Grace (Avantika Vandanapu), and Zoe (Iris Apatow). The troupe sets off for a high-stakes competition in Budapest with their coach, Thorna (Lydia Leonard). But their journey takes a detour into the surreal when they are forced to seek refuge at the dive bar managed by a former prima ballerina turned proprietor, Devora (Uma Thurman). The bar is actually a hive for mob activity; after the troupe witnesses a gruesome murder they find themselves hunted by every criminal in the building. With no rescue in sight, the troupe is forced to pivot from the stage to the battlefield, repurposing their discipline into a desperate means of survival. Facing a 99.99% probability of failure, they nonetheless lean into that microscopic 0.01% chance, opting to fight rather than submit to the inevitable.
The character lineup in Pretty Lethal leans heavily on tired tropes, offering a roster of personalities that feel more like cardboard cutouts than actual people. Each of the five girls is shoehorned into a predictable archetype, stripping the film of any real emotional depth. Much of the internal drama hinges on a shallow "rich brat vs.
well-mannered and disciplined girl. While the latter is clearly intended to be the moral compass, her relentless perfection and "hardworking" nature feel just as performative and static as her wealthy rival's entitlement. The inclusion of an ultra-timid girl burdened with protecting her deaf sister feels less like inclusive storytelling and more like a manipulative plot device. Their presence seems designed solely to heighten the stakes through a sense of "helplessness" rather than giving the characters any actual agency. The only girl who leaves a little mark is Grace who gets drugged and start hallucinating which provides dark humor through her erratic "high ideas". But their bizarre tactics of using their ballerina training dance steps for fighting off formidable men come across as more nonsensical than clever, undermining the supposed threat the group faces.
The film misses several golden opportunities to demonstrate how these young women could legitimately overpower their seasoned adversaries. Instead of grounding the combat in a way that feels earned, the choreography leans too heavily into "ballerina tactics" that prioritize stylized flair over functional brutality. By rushing to showcase these unique, dance-infused maneuvers, the filmmakers inadvertently strip the action of its stakes, making what should be high-tension life-or-death struggles feel unintentionally comical. The core issue lies in the film's inability to strike a seamless balance between the elegance of dance and the grit of hand-to-hand combat. Instead of the fluid, kinetic energy one might expect from a dancer-turned-fighter, the fighting movements feel floaty and performative. Without meaningful escalation, the narrative loses its grip on the audience; the story stops moving forward, merely waiting for an inevitable 'explosion' that feels more like a screenplay requirement than a natural conclusion.
The antagonists in Pretty Lethal unfortunately lack the complexity needed to ground the film's high-stakes premise. Pasha (Tamás Szabó Sipos) is portrayed with such loud, unchecked arrogance that he frequently veers into caricature; as the quintessential "spoiled mobster’s son," his exaggerated cruelty makes him feel more like a predictable trope than a truly menacing threat. Similarly, Devora Kasimer—despite an intriguing introduction as the calculated mastermind of the Teremok Inn—is ultimately sidelined by a lack of meaningful character progression. While writer Kate Freund attempts to inject Devora with a tragic backstory in the final act, the reveal is too hurried to resonate. Rather than being a nuanced chess match between two formidable sides, the conflict feels hollow, as the villains remain two-dimensional stock characters right up until the credits roll.
The actresses portraying the five ballerinas—including Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, and Avantika Vandanapu—clearly put in the work. Their physical commitment to the grueling "dance-combat" sequences is evident, and they bring a palpable sense of desperation to their roles. However, they are ultimately fighting a losing battle against a script that treats them as caricatures rather than human beings. No amount of emotional earnestness or athletic prowess can compensate for characters that lack internal lives or distinct personalities beyond their "type." Even the presence of an icon like Uma Thurman can’t elevate the material. There is nothing particularly praiseworthy or memorable about her turn here. She does exactly what is required of her—playing the weary, cold-blooded operator—but she is given so little to chew on that her talent feels largely wasted.
Pretty Lethal is a classic case of a talented cast being stranded by a hollow script. The girls fight with everything they have, and Thurman provides a steady (if unremarkable) anchor, but they are all ultimately in a sinking ship of stagnant character development and repetitive action.
Cast: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, and Uma Thurman
Writer: Kate Freund
Director: Vicky Jewson
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