Synopsis

Lush perform "Ladykillers" amid a dark, glossy fantasy populated by glamorous women, swaggering male archetypes, and images of predatory behavior. The video cuts between the band, stylized sets, and surreal close-ups, including praying mantises attacking and decapitating one another. Its polished, high-budget look deliberately contrasts with the band's earlier shoegaze-era image, turning the song's sharp dismissal of manipulative men into a theatrical, fashion-conscious spectacle.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Los Angeles and involved numerous extras, elaborate sets, and a substantially larger production than many of Lush's earlier clips.

• Its visual concept spoofed the melodramatic car commercials of the period. The band used the glossy language of advertising while pushing it toward something darker and more menacing.

• Miki Berenyi later recalled that Lush was initially reluctant to make another video for the song. She felt the finished clip was flashy enough to prompt accusations that the band had sold out, but also believed it captured the malice in the track.

• The praying mantises are a particularly pointed visual detail: their practice of decapitating one another gives the title "Ladykillers" an intentionally grotesque, literal edge.

• The clip helped Lush reach a much larger television audience in the United States than their previous videos.