Pretty Lethal Review: Ballet Meets Bone-Crunching Action at SXSW 2026

Pretty Lethal is a brutal ballet-survival story.

In ‘Pretty Lethal’, a group of young ballerinas have to fight their way out of an isolated hotel in Hungary. Not only does the film properly capitalize on the premise, but also manages to introduce five really promising young female action stars. It’s an extremely fun and violent romp with as many roundhouse kicks as there are pirouettes.

A bickering ballet troupe made up of Bones (Maddie Ziegler), Princess (Lana Condor), Grace (Avantika), Zoe (Iris Apatow), and Chloe (Millicent Simmonds) find themselves stranded when their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition in Budapest. The girls make their way to a nearby hotel run by the ruthless Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), where they become the targets of some maliciously brutal gangsters.

Ballet Meets Bone-Crunching Action

The girls quickly realize they are going to have to fight their way out of their present situation. And while they don’t have fighting experience, they’re able to utilize their ballet in a combative manner. This results in some insanely enjoyable action scenes, full of blood and grit to rival the ‘John Wick’ franchise.

The way the combat evolves as the ballet troupe goes from being helpless to realizing they possess, well, “a very particular set of skills,” is a fun journey. It does take its time getting there, but once the action takes off, it rarely lets off the throttle until the credits roll. There’s even a great revolving shot around the group of ballerinas that calls back to a similar technique used to showcase the first time the Avengers actually assembled on the big screen. This particularly unforgettable action scene will easily be the most buzzed about scene in the film.

Vicky Jewson and the Cast Deliver

Director Vicky Jewson is able to infuse some lively style amongst the action, and each young performer gets a slew of memorable moments. Ziegler and Condor are particularly noteworthy as rivals forced to come to grips with each other. Ziegler possesses facial features that intensely emphasizes dirt and blood accumulated through the action, giving her some real iconic looks.

While Uma Thurman is no stranger to strong female action, she gets to shepherd in a new slew of heroines while she takes the role of villain. It feels a bit like passing the metaphorical torch, and this group is deserving of the honor.

Verdict

While ‘Pretty Lethal’ suffers from some pacing problems in the first half, it manages to still satisfy with fantastic action and a mesmerizing young cast. The point is well taken: ballerinas can be badasses.

Directors: Vicky Jewson

Writers: Vicky Jewson, Rupert Whitaker

Starring: Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Avantika, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, and Uma Thurman

Release Date: March 25, 2026, on Prime Video

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