Uma Thurman’s ‘unexpectedly grisly’ action thriller out now | Films | Entertainment

Devotees of eccentric thrillers are being encouraged to view a new film that has just been released, featuring big names such as Uma Thurman and Maddie Ziegler.

The plot revolves around a ballet troupe who find themselves stranded when their bus breaks down en route to a prestigious contest.

They are compelled to utilise their training to retaliate when a group of armed men targets them.

Initially announced as Ballerina Overdrive in February 2023, the film has since been rebranded as Pretty Lethal, and is currently available on Prime Video.

The original cast comprised Game of Thrones star Lena Headey, Transformers actress Isabela Merced and Alex Cross’s Yara Shahidi, but production was postponed. By the time filming commenced in Budapest in August 2024, Headey, Shahidi and Merced had exited the film, with Maddie Ziegler, Avantika and Uma Thurman stepping in to replace them.

Upon its debut, the film garnered mostly favourable reviews and currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63 per cent.

Codie Allen commented on the review aggregator site: “If you’re looking for a movie that mixes action, choreography, and a little teen drama into a cohesive, thrilling ride, this is it.”

Ross Bonaime of Collider added: “This isn’t going to be the next John Wick, but it’s certainly an enjoyable, often unexpectedly grisly action film and a solid way to spend 90 minutes.”

Fans flocked to IMDb reviews to express their opinions, with one viewer stating: “Although Pretty Lethal is an Amazon Prime Original, it feels like a Netflix movie. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s the kind of film that’s perfectly entertaining for its 90 minute runtime, and then -poof- it’s gone from memory.

“Pretty Lethal is a perfectly serviceable dose of action that knows what it’s doing. The ballerina angle is fun, and the film doesn’t overstay its welcome or get bogged down in a story. If you’re scrolling through Prime looking for an entertaining distraction, this Netflix Action Flick ain’t bad.”

Another audience member described it “so entertaining”, noting: “I really liked this movie! It was fun, entertaining, had some laughs, dancing and blood.

“I thought the main five girls were so good. They all had great chemistry together which made it very enjoyable seeing them work together in this movie.

“Uma Thurman had a fun role and seeing her do an accent was so fun! The action and dancing concept I loved and I thought it worked out so well.”

A third enthusiast labelled it “Black Swan meets Heathers”, revealing: “Wow, I really enjoyed this campy film. The whole premise is extremely similar to Abigail but add more gals and no vampires.

“Some of this ballet-killing choreography was just hysterical, it was really eccentric with some fantastic gore. Mainly it was quite funny and an enjoyable hour and a half.”

Pretty Lethal is on Prime Video