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Pretty Lethal Debuts on Prime Video With Ballet-Fueled Action

Early reviews highlight inventive ballet-rooted fights alongside uneven writing.

Overview

  • The survival thriller is now streaming after a SXSW premiere on March 13 and a Prime Video release on March 25, 2026.
  • The film follows five American ballerinas stranded at a remote Hungarian inn who use their training to fight for survival.
  • Director Vicky Jewson built a new fight language dubbed “ballet-fu,” partnering with 87North stunt coordinators to stage choreography that starts from dance moves.
  • The cast trained for about a month in Budapest, performed significant movement work, and even weaponized pointe shoes, grounding the action in real technique.
  • Millicent Simmonds’ role was reimagined as a Deaf character at her request, with sound design shifting into her perspective and Iris Apatow learning ASL for on-screen dialogue.
  • Critics are split, with praise for creative set pieces and committed leads (Ziegler, Condor, Thurman) and frequent knocks on thin character work, tonal whiplash, and murky visuals.
  • The soundtrack leans into the concept, weaving Paul Leonard-Morgan’s score with needle drops like Snap!’s Rhythm Is A Dancer and motifs from The Nutcracker to score major fights.