Pretty Lethal is a straight to streaming film from director Vicky Jewson starring Maddie Ziegler, Lara Condor, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Lydia Leonard and Uma Thurman.
The film tells the story of a dysfunctional American ballet troupe who, after getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, take refuge in a gangster filled hotel run by a deranged ex ballerina (Thurman.)
One thing and another, they have to find a way to work through their differences and work together to survive an onslaught on almost stereotypical Eastern European gangsters.
Yeah. It already sounds mad just from that description and the film certainly lives up to that expedition. This is a straight to streaming film but it’s actually a very fun film.
We’ve had two films recently about women trying to survive a group of comedy Satanists (Ready or Not 2 and They Will Kill You) so why not a group of Ballerinas Vs Eastern European gangsters?
The film is manic but the character development is very good with each dancer learning to accept the others differences and find ways to survive.
The use of ballet moves for the improvised fight scenes is brilliant and does add some slapstick humour to the sometimes bloody scenes.
Excellent performances from all but I really don’t know what accent Uma Thurman was going for here so your guess as as good as mine at this point.
This is kind of a throwaway, straight to streaming, film which won’t be winning any awards or be considered amongst the top films of the year in serious circles but it’s also really good fun, much like the recent ones involving Satanists, and I think that’s the point.
Films can be insightful, poignant, thought provoking and challenge you but there is still something to be said for good, dumb fun and this certainly delivers in that department.
It’s a fun hour and a half watching woman beat the crap out of sleazy men.
