‘Pretty Lethal’: A Bloodthirsty Ballet Ensemble With Real Bite [SXSW 2026 Review]
Pretty Lethal is a lean, effective action-thriller with a healthy amount of edge. Directed by Vicky Jewson and written by Kate Freund, the film premiered at SXSW on March 13, 2026, ahead of its March 25 debut on Amazon Prime Video. Starring Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, and Uma Thurman, it successfully blends pulpy carnage with an ensemble of young dancers forced to fight for their lives.
The premise is clean and simple: a dysfunctional ballet troupe traveling to a European competition is stranded when their bus breaks down. After witnessing a brutal crime, they become trapped in a den of violence. What follows is a fight for survival that requires the dancers to weaponize the discipline and physicality of their training in increasingly inventive ways.
While the dialogue is thin, the film is exciting, adorable, and consistently fun. It leans into its pulpy genre DNA, delivering violent confrontations that balance brutality with a surprisingly playful tone. Even when the film veers into grotesque territory, it maintains a buoyant energy that keeps the experience entertaining rather than grim. By design, the violence is notably more brutal than the bubbly premise suggests, with explicit gore that pushes the film beyond a typical mid-tier action outing. Yet, the brutality is presented with a mischievous sense of showmanship that keeps the atmosphere light.
Jewson’s direction is a major asset here. She choreographs the action with a rhythm that mirrors the dancers’ physical discipline, turning the ensemble into a formidable force. There is an elegance to the way the film uses bodies in motion; Jewson weaponizes an ensemble of ballerina’s with the same gritty intensity usually reserved for bald, middle-aged gunmen in suits. She’s clearly a filmmaker to watch.
Uma Thurman delivers a delightfully silly and engaging turn as the central villain. Her performance carries just enough nuance to stay entertaining while leaning into a playful, cartoonish sense of menace. The accent work feels intentionally exaggerated, at times recalling the gleefully theatrical Natasha Fatale from Rocky and Bullwinkle.
The younger cast contributes a great deal to the film’s charm. Their camaraderie gives the story emotional texture even when it is racing through action beats. Lana Condor, in particular, stands out as a social villain within the group. While the script doesn’t always give her the strongest material, she remains one of the most memorable presences in the ensemble.
That said, the film’s weaknesses are hard to ignore. The writing struggles to provide substance beyond its central gimmick. In many ways, Pretty Lethal feels rightfully reminiscent of “geezer-teaser” action films built around aging stars, only refreshed here with a troupe of talented young women. That shift provides novelty, but novelty isn’t the same thing as depth. The script remains generic, even when the concept, filmmaking and performances elevate the material. It would have made for an excellent starting point to take things a further and deeper.
Still, the film succeeds on its own terms. It’s fast, gleefully violent, and anchored by a charismatic ensemble that keeps things entertaining. Pretty Lethal may not be genre revelation, but it is a lively and enjoyable ride while it lasts. It’s also further proof that director Vicky Jewson has a brilliant career ahead of her.
Pretty Lethal premiered at the SXSW Film and TV Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 13, 2026
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Pretty Lethal
Summary
While the writing is thin, ‘Pretty Lethal’ is exciting, adorable, and consistently fun action mayhem from a director to watch.