Director: Vicky Jewson
Starring: Uma Thurman, Maddie Ziegler
Running Time: 88 minutes
Synopsis: Five young women from a Los Angeles ballet company travel to a competition in Budapest, although the two principal dancers Bones (Maddie Ziegler) and Princess (Lana Condor) can barely stand each other. A series of travel mishaps land the dancers in the middle of a spooky Hungarian forest, and they take refuge at an isolated hotel owned by Devora (Uma Thurman), an ex-ballerina who was forced into retirement. The five ballerinas soon realize they are surrounded by ruthless gangsters, and after witnessing a murder they have to fight for their lives.
What Works Well: This genre mash-up aims squarely at silly unconstrained fun, and delivers satisfying choreographed carnage. The five tutu-clad ballerinas are plunged into a fight-or-die nightmare providing plenty of opportunities for dancing-with-death highlights, embellished with empowerment messages about strength hiding beneath elegance. Director Vicky Jewson amps up the Tchaikovsky music, lines up an army of goons, and lets her inner vintage Tarantino rip (hello, Uma Thurman). The internal rivalries, distinct personalities, and yucky moments add juice.
What Does Not Work As Well: The close quarters combat in confined surroundings does get tired and repetitive, and the ability of lightweight dancers to overcome heavy-set thugs stretches all credibility, even within the unserious bounds of comedy horror.
Key Quote:
Devora (to her goon): There are naughty little girls in the house. Find them. And silence them.
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