Pretty Lethal (2026)

Pretty Lethal earns its title by turning ballet into a weapon, and it’s a wickedly clever thrill watching grace and brutality share the same spotlight. Director Vicky Jewson keeps the movie moving with a brisk, pulpy momentum, staging fights that feel choreographed like performances—sharp, rhythmic, and often darkly funny in their inventiveness. Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, and Iris Apatow make an unlikely, engaging trio at the center, selling both the rivalry and the camaraderie as the night tightens its grip. It’s undeniably bloody and proudly over-the-top, so it won’t be for viewers who want subtle horror, but if you’re on the fence and crave a fresh hook with stylish action, this one delivers.

Pretty Lethal wants to be a slick, high-concept mashup of ballet elegance and grindhouse survival, with dancers turning tutus and pointe shoes into weapons inside a remote, deadly inn. When it leans into that absurdity, it can be pulpy fun, and the cast sells the physicality better than you’d expect. The problem is the film’s writing plays it painfully safe: familiar villain beats, predictable turns, and a lot of extra plotting that pads the runtime without adding tension or meaning. If you’re here for a smarter thriller or a horror movie with real atmosphere and character depth, you’ll likely feel shortchanged; if you just want loud, bloody “dance-fight” spectacle and can forgive the clichés, it may still scratch the itch.