Pretty Lethal Review: A Terribly Odd Film Devoid of Reality

Pretty Lethal Review: When a group of ballerinas on their way to a dance competition find themselves stuck in a remote inn, they must band together and use their talents to fight off Hungarian mobsters and save themselves.

The film has a runtime of 88 minutes.

Pretty Lethal Review

In Vicky Jewson’s action-thriller mishmash of a film, we see prima ballerinas wielding the most insane weapons and pushing themselves to the extreme as they go up against dangerous mobsters in a seedy pub or risk getting themselves murdered. The film, with a runtime of just 88 minutes, features nothing that will make you sit up and take notice. In fact, most of it is just so mundane and boring that it leaves you feeling rather annoyed and confused about why it exists in the first place.

First things first, the film’s best part is possibly the few action sequences involving the ballerinas using their difficult training and discipline to go up against these mobsters and killing them off without a second thought. A few of these moments are completely bonkers and feel extremely entertaining. However, as I mentioned, they are few and far between. The rest of the film showcases these mobsters plotting for these kids’ demise in the Disney villain way that they always do… because of course.

Uma Thurman is in this film as the lethal Devora Kasimer. Her role doesn’t ask her to do much, if anything, other than to look terrifying and speak in broken English. It’s hilariously shallow, and the film, in general, feels like it’s missing a soul or two. Much like films of the genre, this one, too, is mostly filler with some blood and gore, and it hinges precariously on the girls’ talents of kicking ass while standing on their pointe shoes. Sure, the fight sequences are energetic and creatively staged in that regard, but it’s hardly enough to keep an entire movie going.

The fact that the story and the characters are so shabbily written is honestly shocking and leaves you questioning the point of it all. The film repeats itself far too many times, and the cliched storyline is hard to justify. The lack of emotional stake and depth will frustrate viewers for far too long, ruining the overall experience. Moreover, the storytelling isn’t great either, and, coupled with the terrible story, it isn’t able to explore the cast’s talents either. Lacking any logic, it’s difficult to suspend disbelief to this extent, and thus, we are left to feel confused for too long.

As mentioned earlier, the talented cast’s potential is wasted, with Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika and Maddie Ziegler, the five ballerinas, not having enough to do or say. The dialogues are terrible, making us cringe every time someone says something. Uma Thurman is such a waste in this film, and I couldn’t understand the point of casting such a great performer only to not make use of them.

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Listen, this shouldn’t have been as serious as it ended up becoming, and a lighthearted film that doesn’t take itself seriously would’ve felt much more engaging. However, Pretty Lethal is a bit confused about what it wants to be. Considering the premise of young ballerinas taking on the Hungarian mobsters is as silly as it sounds, the film refuses to let up and doubles down on wanting to be an action thriller. Either way, if viewers, like the film’s makers, see the film for the silly nonsense that it is, maybe there is some way for it to be somewhat entertaining.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the mood for something lighthearted and entirely forgettable, maybe Pretty Lethal will be a mind-numbingly enjoyable watch. However, it’s nothing more than that.

What are your thoughts on Pretty Lethal? Let us know in the comments below!

Also Read: Pretty Lethal Ending Explained: Do the Ballerinas Get Out Alive? What is Devora’s Backstory?