From 'Bring It On' to 'Backspot,' these cheerleader movies are at the top of the pyramid
Warm up, grab a cheer stick, and if you've got spirit fingers, it's time to raise 'em high.
There's a new entry to cheerleading movie canon – and a good one, to boot. (Because let's just say with these films, all that glitter bombs is not gold.) The coming-of-age drama "Backspot" (in theaters Friday) − featuring an ambitious athlete (Devery Jacobs) dealing with the downsides of being part of an all-star squad − joins "Bring It On," "But I'm a Cheerleader" and others that add nuance and perspective to a fierce sport.
We've got spirit, yes we do, and in that vein, we're enthusiastically ranking the best 10 cheerleader films. (Don't agree? Well, this is not a democracy, it's a cheerocracy.)
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
10. 'Sugar & Spice' (2001)
The comedy is very much of its spoofy teen-movie time yet also boasts a bit of satirical edge. Diane (Marley Shelton) is a popular cheerleader knocked up by star quarterback beau Jack (James Marsden). When both are kicked out of their homes, Diane gets the idea while watching "Point Break" that robbing banks could be a way to make ends meet, so the girls don doll masks and begin a high-jinks-filled crime spree.
Where to watch: On-demand platforms.
9. 'All Cheerleaders Die' (2014)
Cheerleading movies have been a part of the horror genre since the 1970s, usually with titles like "Cheerleader Camp" and "Satan's Cheerleaders." This savagely vengeful gem stars Caitlin Stasey as a high school senior who hatches a plan to join her school's cheer crew so she can disrupt the life of the cocky football captain. One fatal car accident and some magic rocks later, the squad wakes up as a bunch of undead menaces.
Where to watch: Tubi.
8. 'The Replacements' (2000)
So technically the Keanu Reeves gridiron comedy is a football movie, but there is a whole large subplot that's, dare we say, cheertastic. Brooke Langton plays Reeves' love interest as well as the captain of the Washington Sentinels spirit squad, which is down a number of members. She has to recruit a bunch of new dancers, and those of the exotic variety are hired, creating helpful distractions for the misfit dudes in helmets.
Where to watch: On-demand platforms.
7. 'Zombies' (2018)
A gateway for your kids into cheerleading movies and horror flicks, the musical comedy stars Meg Donnelly as Addison, a Seabrook High teen who falls for football-playing zombie Zed (Milo Manheim), a close bond that causes ruffles on her cheer squad and among his friends. Peppy songs and dance numbers go down nicely with a fun love story, brain-eating humor and a nice little social message.
Where to watch: Disney+.
6. 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1992)
Before there was the beloved "Buffy" TV show, there was the "Buffy" movie written by future show creator Joss Whedon. Kristy Swanson stars as the big-screen Buffy Summers, a SoCal cheerleader told one day by a strange old guy (Donald Sutherland) that she's destined to slay vampires. The campy flick also acts as memorial for three talented actors: Luke Perry as Buffy's cool-guy partner, Rutger Hauer as the main big bad and Paul Reubens as a hilarious bloodsucker.
Where to watch: On-demand platforms.
5. 'Bottoms' (2023)
The two-fisted teen comedy stars Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as high school social outcasts who start a fight club for the express purpose of hooking up with their cheerleader crushes (Havana Rose Liu and Kaia Gerber) but run afoul of the football team. A surprising amount of female empowerment ensues, lessons are learned, and in outrageously violent fashion, the girls end up having to save the guys in the end.
Where to watch: Prime Video.
4. 'Backspot' (2024)
A former gymnast, Devery Jacobs ("Reservation Dogs") does her own tumbling and cheer stunt work as Riley, an ambitious athlete who ascends to an all-star team with her girlfriend (Kudakwashe Rutendo) but struggles with the intense pressure. With Evan Rachel Wood as the demanding cheer coach, the drama effectively immerses the viewer "Black Swan"-style in the constant anxiety and brutal physicality Riley endures.
Where to watch: In theaters and on-demand platforms.
3. 'Jennifer’s Body' (2009)
The cult horror comedy stars Megan Fox as a small-town cheerleader who becomes a succubus with a hunger for killing and devouring dudes, while Amanda Seyfried is her longtime pal trying to stop the blood feasting. Written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody, this tale of a demonically possessed man-eating teen gets better the more you watch it, using satire and slasher tropes to explore female sexuality and coming-of-age issues.
Where to watch: On-demand platforms.
2. 'But I’m a Cheerleader' (1999)
Natasha Lyonne notched her breakout role in this quirky and winning satire starring as Megan, a 17-year-old vegetarian Melissa Etheridge fan who'd rather stare at her fellow cheerleaders than smooch her boyfriend. When her parents suspect she might be a lesbian, they send her to a conversion therapy camp, where she figures a whole bunch of things out, falls in love and fully accepts her sexuality.
Where to watch: Tubi
1. 'Bring It On' (2000)
Did you know there are seven "Bring It On" movies? And a "Bring It On" Broadway musical co-created by Lin-Manuel Miranda? Director Peyton Reed's delightfully subversive original became a teen comedy staple and featured an energetic Kirsten Dunst as Torrance, the competitive cheer captain who finds out her team's moves were stolen from an inner-city squad and their steadfast leader (Gabrielle Union).
Where to watch: On-demand platforms.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cheerleading movies have got serious spirit: Here are our top 10
