Based on a video project they collaborated on a number of years ago now, co-directors Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson’s All Cheerleaders Die is a pitch black comedy/horror film that takes a wickedly fun and savage look at high school and gender politics, all with a supernatural bent. If you’re a fan Heathers, Jawbreaker, or The Craft, then All Cheerleaders Die is positively a movie that’ll have you busting out our your pom-poms and spirit fingers in no time.
While the title may sound like a spoiler, don’t let that fool you for a moment; All Cheerleaders Die is anything but your typical high school/supernatural/occult mash-up, which certainly makes for a wonderfully unusual experience. Everything kicks off with resident good girl Maddy (Caitlin Stasey) deciding to go undercover as a wanna-be cheerleader so that she can humiliate her high school’s football star Terry (Tom Williamson) and the other popular kids. Her plan is that once she is accepted into their circle, she can stir things up and cause some major chaos without anyone realizing what she’s up to. Of course, Maddy’s plans go awry which is when All Cheerleaders Die takes a delightful left turn into voodoo/witchcraft territory, thereby changing and raising the stakes for both Maddy and those she originally had intended to destroy.
The biggest advantage that All Cheerleaders Die has going for it is that, while some of its DNA may feel somewhat familiar to its fellow high school-centric peers that preceded it, the story itself smacks of originality and truly kept me guessing from start to finish which isn’t an easy feat these days. McKee and Sivertson, as well as their talented cast of up-and-comers, also seem to be having a lot of fun with the material as well and when that kind of enthusiasm is evident in almost every facet of production, it adds something special. And All Cheerleaders Die has that in spades- this is probably the most fun I’ve had with a horror movie this year.
Something else about All Cheerleaders Die that really struck me was how McKee and Sivertson tackle the topic of gender politics here. In a movie that’s absolutely celebrates girl power, it was nice to see a film that didn’t treat the male counterpart characters like total idiots, which is something a lot of modern horror films are guilty of. Don’t get me wrong, All Cheerleaders Die belongs to Maddy and her fellow cheerleaders, but Terry and his football pals are almost equally deadly, raising the tension to great heights in the film between all the characters.
Both writers also never take their story or message too seriously either, which only makes All Cheerleaders Die that much more enjoyable. McKee and Sivertson ambitiously decide to go for broke with their collaboration, continuously letting their story shift focus and tone throughout akin to something of a kitchen-sink approach. There will probably be some fans may not necessarily be able to dig all the choices both McKee and Sivertson made while helming All Cheerleaders Die , which I ultimately understand even if I don’t agree. I personally enjoyed the hell out of it because of that feeling of not knowing just what on earth they were going to throw at me next and frankly, I’ll take ambition over playing it safe any day.
With all the makings of a future cult classic, All Cheerleaders Die is an infectiously fun, razor-sharp romp that feels right at home amongst its high school horror peers. While it may not necessarily be a wholly flawless affair, McKee and Sivertson’s ambition for the material more than makes up for any minor hiccups along the way. With the horror genre, it seems lately that there are few surprises to be had any more and somehow All Cheerleaders Die managed to throw quite a few unexpected moments of madness at me that I didn’t see coming. If you’ve been looking for a horror movie with a bit of a Bring It On meets Jennifer’s Body sensibility to it, then All Cheerleaders Die is just what you’re looking for.
Movie Score: 3.5/5
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