That type of action film that you know you’ll probably enjoy watching but at the same time you also know it just won’t be good at all, that sums up Pretty Lethal. I know it’s a streaming movie and honestly if I watched this in my laptop for example I probably would’ve hated so much. But since I watched with a huge crowd at the SXSW premiere, it made the experience somehow worth it. Everyone was just laughing at every joke, gagging at every kill and honestly in a film like this, this is what makes it worth it!
“When five ballerinas take refuge at a secluded roadside inn during a sudden detour, they expect a brief respite from the pressures of competition. Instead, they find themselves trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by the inn’s enigmatic owner – a former ballet prodigy whose obsession with perfection has taken a dark and dangerous turn. As rivalries flare and secrets surface, the dancers must fight to survive in a place where grace and discipline offer no protection from the terror unfolding behind closed doors.”
The cast and the non-stop action are by far the best parts of the film. It was intensely bloody, and I wasn’t expecting that at all. At the beginning, I thought I’d hate it, but when the first kill happened, I was gagged… it was so unexpected that it actually got me hooked on the film. Uma Thurman is just as great as you remember—she’s magnificent here and definitely my favorite character.The plot is too formulaic and boring, but as I mentioned, what really makes the film worth it are the action sequences and the cast dynamic. Aside from that, don’t expect anything great.
The cinematography and fight choreography also deserve a mention. The camera work really captures the intensity of the action sequence. The soundtrack is surprisingly effective, blending pulsating beats with tense moments to amplify the chaos of this film. While the dialogue often falls flat, the visual style and energy of the film make up for it, giving it a slightly stylized vibe that works in its favor. Overall, it’s messy in places but undeniably entertaining if you’re here for spectacle over substance.
The need to “aura farm” every five minutes is also something that bothered me. They throw in random, cringey quotes throughout the film, and I really wasn’t a fan of that. But at the end of the day, it’s just another streaming movie made to be watched in your living room… Pretty Lethal is a fun, extremely bloody yet formulaic film that will please hardcore action fans.
Pretty Lethal releases on Prime Video on March 25.
