Pretty Lethal shows that something is changing When glitter meets gore: the rise of violent Ssisterhood in Gen Z cinema

We can’t deny it: stories featuring beautiful girls with perfect hair kicking the villains’ asses have always had a special place in our hearts. When I was 8, I would go from watching the Winx defeat a troll to the underwater battles between Mermaid Melody and Gaito. What made it work? The contrast between pastel colors and the sparkle of the “girl gangs”’ jewels and the dark, moody tones of their villains. In Pretty Lethal, the new release on Prime Video (out March 25), I felt those same vibes again, but what’s different this time?

Pretty Lethal on Prime Video: plot and cast

Let’s start with the plot: this action thriller follows a group of American dancers determined to become the best in the world. Only the elite will get the chance to perform at a prestigious show in Budapest, and despite their rocky relationships, the girls are willing to do anything to make it. Their journey begins on a bus ride to the destination, along with all their personal tensions. After a breakdown and a violent storm, they take shelter in a majestic villa owned by the character played by Uma Thurman, where the story reaches a key turning point in Kate Freund’s screenplay. From that moment on, the dancers must work together and use their classical training to survive. Casting Uma Thurman is no coincidence, just think of her role in Kill Bill, the ultimate reference for female revenge. And it’s precisely the cast that deserves attention. This tutu-clad girl gang includes: Avantika (star of Mean Girls) as Grace; Maddie Ziegler (internationally renowned dancer) as Bones; Lana Condor (lead of the beloved Netflix rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) as Princess; Iris Apatow as Zoe; and Millicent Simmonds as Chloe. Even at a glance, these are names deeply rooted in today’s pop culture, faces loved by Gen Z and Millennials, helping to shape a girl gang that’s irresistible for fangirls everywhere.

The connection with Forbidden Fruits

The Amazon MGM Studios project isn’t the only one embracing the glitter + blood combo. On March 20, 2026, U.S. theaters began screening Forbidden Fruits, which will also be available on the streaming platform Shudder (a production company known for horror and thriller films, and involved in this project). Here too, we find a group of girls dealing with blood—but with an added esoteric twist: we’re talking about witches. The film is based on the play Of the Women Came the Beginning of Sin and Through Her We All Die, written by Lily Houghton, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Meredith Alloway, and it gives off strong Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes. The story unfolds inside a shopping mall, where, after closing hours, a secret feminist witch cult gathers in the basement, led by Apple. The magnetic redhead is played by Lili Reinhart, an actress already familiar with the genre thanks to her time on Riverdale. Together with Fig and Cherry, played by Alexandra Shipp and Victoria Pedretti, they form a perfect trio, until something threatens to disrupt everything. Or rather, someone. Challenging their façade of sisterhood is Lola Tung, Belly from TSITP, who plays Pumpkin, a pretzel stand employee. Drawn to the three boutique workers at Free Eden, she becomes involved in their rituals, but may end up surprising them. The cast also includes former model Gabrielle Union and one of Gen Z’s most representative creators, Emma Chamberlain. Both films explore the dynamics of a female group forced to unite against an internal or external threat, while relying on a cast filled with influential figures in today’s media landscape. It makes you wonder: has 2026 cinema decided to tint our pastel dreams with a much darker shade of red, ushering in a new aesthetic and narrative canon?

Femme-fatalism and pop culture: cinema’s new obsession

Combining pop culture icons with a genre that centers on women teaming up is always a winning formula. Looking back, we think of Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, and Rihanna in Ocean's 8, the 2019 Charlie’s Angels, and the cinematic universe of Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood music video. Today, however, there’s a clear aesthetic shift: both films play with the contrast between hyper-polished visuals (balletcore/Y2K) and graphic violence. Just look at the filmography of recent actors and directors to understand that Gen Z loves bloody dramas. A clear example is the horror film Thanksgiving, featuring singer and influencer Addison Rae, alongside titles like Fear Street: Prom Queen, MaXXXine, and Time Cut on Netflix. Why are they so popular? It’s no surprise: they are horror comedies or light thrillers that entertain without demanding too much. Plus, knowing your favorite influencer, actress, or singer will appear on screen is definitely an added incentive. And finally, there’s one theme we’ll never get tired of: sisterhood. The same theme that kept us watching six seasons of Sex and the City, and that resonates even more when it’s about unity against a common enemy trying to “tear us apart.”