Form Is Content: ‘Ballerina’ Reviewed

The revenge quest for a dead loved one is a boilerplate premise for the slick action crime genre. And yet, Ballerina manages to forge its own path that’s distinct from other genre staples like John Wick. Ballerina shines in the film’s use of stylized editing, vivid colors, and fast-paced fights that are all grounded in human emotion. Ballerina is a film where “form is content” and the way the story is told is as important as the story itself.

In fact, the film has less action that you might think judging by the trailer. There’s a fair amount of time devoted to intrigue and mystery. The film is paced more like a thriller that’s punctuated with short bursts of visceral action. It may help viewers to understand that it’s very hard to get guns in Korea– therefore many of the characters use knives and other household objects in combat. This homemade approach to weaponry adds a unique flavor to the action genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ballerina from beginning to end. The film takes its time and knows when to embrace or subvert genre expectations. The relationship between two female friends is charming and all the more heart-wrenching when that relationship is cut short. Running at an hour and a half, Ballerina is a lean, mean self-contained action flick. Ballerina is also one of the many examples from this year about a compelling action heroine. This is a trend I’ve noticed that should be explored in future articles. If you enjoy slick New Wave action films, Ballerina is an easy recommendation.

Ballerina is currently streaming on Netflix.