Pretty Lethal (2026): When Ballet Turns Brutal

You’ve heard the phrase “If looks could kill,” but have you heard “If dancing could kill?” Pretty Lethal takes that idea and runs with it. Directed by Vicky Jewson, the film follows five ballerinas selected to perform in a prestigious ballet competition in Budapest. But on their way there, their bus breaks down, leaving them stranded in the middle of a forest.

Desperate for help, they stumble upon an inn that, at first glance, seems almost too perfect— with ballerina themed decor and classical music. There, they meet Devora Kasimer (played by Uma Thurman), a legendary prima ballerina, along with her sons, who run the inn. Everything feels strangely welcoming… until it’s not.

Chloe (played by Millicent Simmonds) and their dance teacher, Miss Thorna (played by Lydia Leonard), step away briefly. While Chloe is in the bathroom, Miss Thorna accidentally opens the wrong door and discovers something horrifying: someone being tortured. Terrified, she rushes back to warn the girls that they need to leave immediately.

But panic only makes things worse. In front of her students and the other guests, Miss Thorna is suddenly shot by one of Devora’s sons. Chaos breaks out. One of the ballerinas, Bones (played by Maddie Ziegler), tries to escape but is quickly caught. The girls are captured, tied up, and thrown into the basement—all except Chloe, who remains unaware of what’s happening due to being deaf, both in the film and in real life, which I admired for the inclusion of disability representation.

Trapped and terrified, the girls realize no one is coming to save them. Their belongings are gone, and they have no way to call for help. Grace (played by Avantika Vandanapu) is drugged and disoriented, while Princess (played by Lana Condor) insists on doing things her own way, which only leads to failure. Eventually, they come together and decide to fight back; even if it means killing their captors.

This is where the film takes a turn I didn’t expect. There’s a surprising amount of gore, blood, and violence, but it’s paired with almost comical fight scenes and acting choices which took away from the film’s seriousness. The girls move in slow motion, blending ballet with combat, even throwing in pirouettes and kicks while Tchaikovsky plays in the background with every move landing perfectly. At one point, they even turn their pointe shoes into weapons by duct-taping razor blades inside them, which I found both creative and slightly ridiculous.

Overall, the movie was fun to watch, but also undeniably cringey at times. It had an interesting concept and some creative moments, but the execution didn’t always land for me, especially the ending. The tonal shift between horror and comedy felt inconsistent rather than intentional which made some of the more crucial moments harder to take seriously. It felt rushed and gimmicky as we later learn the revenge-driven backstory of Devora. By the time everything is explained, it feels less impactful and more like a last-minute twist rather than something fully developed. Despite its flaws, one thing I did appreciate was how the film highlighted girlhood and the importance of sticking together during challenging times.