All Cheerleaders Die (2013)

All Cheerleaders Die is the kind of gleefully unhinged genre cocktail that feels like it was made by filmmakers who genuinely love horror, but refuse to treat it with solemn reverence. It starts in familiar high-school territory and then yanks the rug out with a supernatural twist that’s nasty, funny, and surprisingly cathartic, powered by a rebellious heroine and a cheer squad whose shifting loyalties keep the vibe volatile. Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson lean into sharp one-liners, crunchy gore, and a punky, girls-take-the-night energy that plays like a mean-spirited teen comedy fed through a blood-soaked fever dream. It won’t be for viewers who want their horror tasteful or their teen movies gentle, but if you’re in the mood for something fast, twisted, and cheerfully vicious, it’s a blast.

All Cheerleaders Die wants to be a gleefully mean, feminist-leaning mash-up of teen comedy, revenge thriller, and supernatural horror, with cheerleader politics and occult chaos colliding in one big midnight-movie cocktail. When it’s on, it’s enjoyably trashy and energetic, with a couple of fun performances and some satisfyingly nasty payback beats that show the directors know their genre history. The problem is the tone lurches between sincere trauma, campy jokes, and splatter without ever fully blending, and the characters often feel like sketches in service of the next shock or twist rather than people you can invest in. If you’re looking for tight storytelling, consistent rules, or anything resembling emotional follow-through, this will test your patience—but if you can tolerate uneven pacing and clichés for the sake of a brisk, pulpy ride, you may still have a decent time.