Battements, ballerinas, and beatdowns, Hollywood has been pirouetting through the dance-horror space lately, with films like Ballerina, Abigail, and, of course, the genre’s reigning queen, Black Swan. The latest to step into the spotlight is Pretty Lethal, arriving on Prime Video from writer Kate Freund and director Vicky Jewson.
The story follows five prima ballerinas: Bones (Maddie Ziegler), a hardened outsider struggling to fit in; Princess (Lana Condor), the privileged and polished perfectionist; Zoe (Iris Apatow) and Chloe (Millicent Simmonds), fiercely protective sisters; and Grace (Avantika Vandanapu), whose conservative upbringing shapes her discipline. Each dancer brings a distinct personality to the group, and while their differences spark tension, dance demands unity, they can’t perform as one if they can’t get along. Training at a prestigious Los Angeles studio, the girls are preparing for an elite competition in Budapest, where only the best dancers in the world are chosen to compete.
Their journey takes a sharp turn when they’re stranded en route and find themselves at the eerie Teramok Inn, a Nutcracker-themed bar run by the enigmatic Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman). A former ballerina whose career was violently cut short, Devora now presides over the space with a haunting intensity. “Inside every ballerina’s heart is a blood warrior, sweat, sacrifice, but not everyone finishes their dream,” a chilling warning that sets the tone for what’s to come, as her past and the dancers’ ambitions collide in unsettling ways.
Throughout Pretty Lethal, the film leans heavily into its ballet aesthetic, packing in references from tutus and rosin to razor-blade pointe shoes and even a Nutcracker statue repurposed as a weapon. The soundtrack is equally on-the-nose, filled with dance-centric tracks that constantly remind you of the world these characters inhabit. The film frames ballerinas as both delicate and dangerous, artists capable of elegance and brutality. It’s a fun idea in theory, especially as the story builds toward a final act where the girls must quite literally dance for their lives, setting aside their rivalries to survive. What begins as a group of soloists forced into competition becomes a desperate attempt at unity, where survival depends on moving as one.
To the film’s credit, the action sequences are where it finds its rhythm. The choreography blends fighting and dance in a way that feels fluid and visually engaging, supported by energetic, stylized cinematography that adds a sense of flair. However, much of the spotlight is placed on Maddie Ziegler, which while understandable given her real-life dance background, it becomes increasingly noticeable. The imbalance makes the ensemble feel less like a cohesive unit and more like a showcase, bordering on favoritism.
Going in, the expectation was a bold, high-energy girl-power dance horror but the film ultimately stumbles where it matters most: the writing. The characters are sketched in broad strokes, functioning more as archetypes than fully realized individuals. As a result, the performances often tip into exaggerated territory, making it difficult to fully invest in their stakes or their survival.
In the end, Pretty Lethal hits a few stylish notes but ultimately misses its mark. Despite its ambition and aesthetic flair, it never quite earns its place alongside the more memorable entries in the brutal ballerina and its best to bourree past it when selecting your next Friday night watch
CHRISKRATING★★
