The plot feels like something out of a 70s exploitation film, where hyper-femininity collides with gruesome, graphic violence. However, the cast feels more in line for the reboot sugar and Spice Or bring it on, Teen comedies that relied on charming ingenuity and high-energy antics. Like exploitation films that take advantage of emerging media trends, very dangerous It looks like it’s following in the footsteps of recent ballerina-does-violence movies like the horror-comedy 2024 AbigailAbout a pint-sized vampire girl who paired her fangs with a tutu, and 2025 ballerinaA John Wick spinoff starring Ana de Armas. Remarkably, very dangerous is produced by john wick Helmer David Leach. Therefore, audiences can expect the fantastic style and blatant violence of that franchise.
unfortunately, very dangerous All of these potential inspiration points pale in comparison. It’s not outrageous or surprising enough to rise above feeling like a copycat.
very dangerous Seems pretty basic.
Uma Thurman plays a bar owner with a ballet past in “Pretty Lethal.”
Credit: Prime Video
Written by Kate Freund and directed by Vicky Luson, very dangerous Begins in a ballet studio, where an American troupe of teenage ballerinas are preparing for a big competition abroad.
As fast as they can pirate, their personality is evident. Condor is a rich and privileged mean girl who feels entitled to the lead dancer role. Naturally, her name is Princess. And she absolutely hates Bones, who is poor, tough as nails and the best dancer, so she’s played by Ziegler. Sweet, nice girl Grace (Avantika) is deeply Christian and wants girls to stop fighting – and find Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Meanwhile, sisters Chloe (Symonds) and Zoe (Apatow) are having a low-key fight because Chloe, who is deaf, doesn’t appreciate Zoe over-eagerly baby-sitting her at every turn.
They are struggling to come together as a dance troupe. But when their bus breaks down in Hungary on the way to the competition, the five girls and their coach end up in a run-down bar called the Teremok Inn. Inside, they find souvenirs from the owner’s (Uma Thurman) time as a ballet dancer. But the entire place, once luxurious, is tarnished by years of neglect, bar fights and resentment.
It is not long before a confrontation with a skilled mentor leads to their instructor being murdered before their eyes. Can these ballerinas put aside their personal issues and turn to martial arts to survive?
very dangerous There is a lack of specific style.
There is hope in the Teremok Inn, as its interior immediately suggests a time of splendor and the possibility of something long since destroyed by something ugly. However, Lucan comes in a tired color palette of mustard, magenta and teal to earthy green. This look has become a tired standard in any action movie trying to conjure up the John Wick-chic vibe (see also: Hotel Artemis).
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However, apart from this, ballerina dresses are also expected to be disappointing. When they arrive completely soaked from walking in the rain, a growling bartender demands they change into dry clothes. Obviously, this means their meticulous white uniforms, with pointe shoes and long tutus. Now, a white outfit (like a white t-shirt) is a perfect canvas for the anticipated spray of blood as they take on dangerous Hungarian goons. But the simple design of these costumes does nothing to distinguish the girls from each other or add grandeur to the film’s production design.
These uninspired scenes don’t help the script, which feels like a mediocre teen comedy from the 90s. The familiar archetypes of the tough girl, the mean girl, the nice girl and the bickering sisters are one thing, but the lack of jarring dialogue is another. None of the princess’s comments are poignant enough to be remembered. The fighting between the sisters is disappointingly superficial. And halfway through, acting “good girl” becomes so tiresome that Grace is forced to take a psychedelic drug trip. There, at least we get some unexpected visual brilliance, as the towering Nutcracker comes to life to warn him to flee.
Yet amidst those hallucinations, I wondered whether the film would be more visually exciting if Lucan had rejected the cool-toned approach and embraced the films’ brightly colored, highly-saturated, ultra-feminine color palette. mean Girls, bring it on, Or But I’m a cheerleader. Rather than toning down the squalor of Hungarian bars, such a palette might have toned down the trend toward violence. And seeing the blood spray in such a vivid setting would have been even more amazing and fun.
very dangerous There is concrete action.
Be warned: it takes a while to get to the ballerinas-fight-back stage of the film. Freund attempted to show some semblance of realism by having the girls scream, run, and panic for a long time before they decide to take up arms and fight back. However, when we finally reach this point, very dangerous It’s very funny.
It’s not like a razor blade on the point of a ballet slipper becomes the perfect way to cut an enemy’s throat with the proper foot turn. It’s also that seeing one of them do it strengthens the others’ self-confidence. They eventually begin to come together, and the energy of the film eventually picks up. However, because it takes so long to get started, the final act feels disorganized. The twists and turns in it seem like shortcuts rather than earned. So, while I enjoyed the strange action (like a bunch of ballerinas leaping away from a giant explosion), I felt detached from the bizarre thrill of it all.
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is the capacity in set pieces of very dangerous, It also includes a sequence where the girls perform ballet on a stage, their ancient costumes stained with blood and dirt. But Lucan’s approach lacks colour, perspective and musicality. The right song could have electrified this sequence, but a simple piano is not enough to sell the undercurrent of emotions that are given space to erupt here. So, it’s more a whisper than a roar of performance.
Talking about demonstrations, they are present everywhere. Perhaps this was intentional, to show how different these girls are from each other. To Condor’s credit, she successfully pulls off the complacency of a rom-com heroine. To all the boys, Remaking myself into a seething bitch. ziggler who shines after Unlike Jenna Ortega, she is strong as a tough girl, but is at her best in dance/fight scenes where she can rely on physicality to get her point across. As it was true in 2024 mean Girls, Avantika’s role was thin, but she is quite entertaining as an oblivious hanger-on. However, Simmonds is the best of the group, managing to make teen lust and angst work, even within a weak subplot. Apatow struggles the most with the underwritten characters she plays with sincerity to the point where she’s practically an echo. Thankfully, Thurman is extremely funny as an axe-grinding former ballerina.
Ultimately, very dangerous It’s fine for showing a movie for one night. But with this cast and this premise, I was definitely expecting something weirder and wilder and more satisfying.
very dangerous Reviewed from the 2026 SXSW Film Festival; It will premiere on March 25 on Prime Video.
Subject
prime video streaming
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