Pretty Lethal
The brief
Vicky Jewson turns what sounds like a ridiculous B-movie premise into surprisingly taut survival horror, with Lana Condor and Millicent Simmonds anchoring an ensemble that takes the material seriously without losing the inherent absurdity. The film leans into its dancers-as-fighters concept with genuinely creative choreographed combat sequences, though it stumbles when it tries to explain too much about what's actually hunting them. At 88 minutes, it moves fast enough that you don't have time to question the logic, maintaining a darkly playful tone that recalls Ready or Not's blend of violence and dark comedy. Perfect for anyone who thought Black Swan needed more actual violence or wants their horror with a side of pirouettes.
The verdict
If you enjoy gleefully absurd horror that commits fully to ridiculous premises like ballet dancers fighting for survival, this is a delightfully unhinged 88-minute thrill ride with creative action sequences. If you need your movies to make logical sense or can't embrace B-movie silliness taken seriously, skip this pirouetting bloodbath.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who love ridiculous-but-good horror
- ⚠️ Skip if you need realistic premises
Heads up
- Violent fight sequences with creative weapons (moderate)
- Characters in life-threatening peril (frequent)
- Dark humor mixed with genuine scares (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Vicky Jewson
- Cast
- Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Maddie Ziegler, Avantika, Uma Thurman, Michael Culkin
Official synopsis
A troupe of ballerinas find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Perfect Blue (1998)
Both feature dancers trapped in nightmarish survival scenarios with psychological terror.
Total runtime: 1h 28m + 1h 22m = 2h 50m
