As it happens, so often with these types of movies, I struggle to start writing about them. I mean, everything is so straightforward that I could end this review in just a few sentences and not miss much. Pretty Lethal is a mildly entertaining slasher about a group of ballerinas fighting their way out of a Hungarian hotel. Well, I guess that tells you everything you need to know about this movie. This is a bit of mindless bloody fun, and what’s wrong with that? It reminds me of all those eighties slashers where a women’s team of something gets stranded in the middle of nowhere and is soon met with a deadly threat. The one that instantly rushes to the mind is 1990’s Blood Games. It follows a group of hot female baseballers whose bus breaks down. After that, angry locals start coming at them.
Since Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, came out last year, I just want to say this movie has nothing to do with it. Pretty Lethal was announced back in 2023, with the story set in Serbia and not Hungary. The concept was pretty simple: it’s going to be a classic slasher horror movie with a ballerina twist. A smart and relatively logical ballerina twist. When you consider just how both physically and mentally demanding ballet is, it kind of makes sense. Kate Freund, who wrote the script for the movie, was herself a ballerina when she was younger. So, she could tap into that experience to make the whole movie feel more authentic. She also appears in quite a few scenes as the evil henchwoman Sona, the tall, skinny one with a thick accent.
When it comes to the action, there will be just the right amount of it. And while the opening couple of fights were excellent and realistic, towards the end, Pretty Lethal almost turns into a farce. The fighting style, dubbed Ballet-Fu, was not only comical but also too forced. I understand what they were trying to do, but I just didn’t like this whole element of the movie. It broke what little semblance of an immersion was there and just looked silly. That’s my take, at least. All the other stuff was pretty good. I especially liked the humor that was poignant, creative, and vibrant. This is something I did not expect from a movie like this. Usually, we get these cringeworthy AI-generated jokes that just kill the mood.
Our young cast took full advantage of this. Maddie Ziegler, a former professional dancer, was superb in the lead role along with Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, and Millicent Simmonds. Avantika deserves a special mention as she absolutely nailed her role. A role that was a tad bit different from the others, as she was constantly providing comedic relief. Of course, it goes without saying that Uma Thurman was just as good as the evil boss Devora. Too bad they didn’t give her a sword, I bet that Kill Bill muscle memory would kick in instantly. Wow, I can’t believe I’m four paragraphs in and still have more stuff to talk about. I guess my initial assessment was a bit off. At least when it comes to this stuff.
Pretty Lethal was shot on location in Hungary. Too bad we didn’t get the chance to see more of the country, as the story unfolds in a single location, the Teremok Inn. Although I have to admit that these types of movies have a special place in my heart. Since this is a horror movie, you should know just what kind of bloody action you will get. As I previously mentioned, fight choreography ranges from believably bloody visceral to ludicrously bloody over-the-top. That R rating sticker is not there for nothing. And since there won’t be almost any shootouts, we’re down to blades. Razor blades, knives, spears, and all kinds of nasty shit.
The gore wasn’t on the levels of some other Eastern European nightmare movies (did someone say Hostel), but it did pack a punch. Speaking of similar movies, before I go, I have to mention the 2006 movie Severance. It follows a group of British workers on a team-building exercise in Hungary. A team building that will soon turn into team destroying. A bit rougher around the edges but funnier and bloodier, it’s a perfect follow-up movie. Enjoy.
Director: Vicky Jewson
Writer: Kate Freund
Cast: Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Lydia Leonard, Avantika, Millicent Simmonds, Iris Apatow
Fun Facts: While some of the cast members did perform their own ballet routines, all of them had two stunt doubles, one for the fight scenes and one for the ballet scenes.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26678938/
