By Adam Ruhl
I think the title alone helps define the audience for this
film. If you’re checking out All Cheerleaders Die, odds are your expectations
were not for a gripping drama. You enjoy what the Alamo Drafthouse set define
as ‘genre films’. Offbeat and interesting Horror, Sci fi, fantasy, crime films;
true the definition is broad but this film fits perfectly. I could completely
imagine this film playing in my beloved Fantastic Fest. I accordingly review
this film’s strengths and weaknesses on that scale.
All Cheerleaders Die is the story of a young high school
student named Maddy. Her cheerleader friend dies tragically (albeit
hilariously) and the friend’s boyfriend promptly takes up with another
cheerleader. Maddy concocts a secret plan for revenge by joining the
cheerleading team and sabotaging them and the boyfriend’s senior year. All of
this is sidelined when a party fight goes too far with deadly consequences. I am trying to avoid giving too much away. If you're afraid of spoilers DO NOT watch the trailer.
The movie has some fun moments and a lot of nods to the teen
horror films it’s satirizing. It pulls elements from all over the genre and you
really have to be willing to sit back and enjoy the ride without questioning the
plausibility too closely. Not even just the fantastic plot devices, but some of
the amazing coincidences and curious character motivations don’t stand up to
much scrutiny. Additionally I found the lead up to the plot starting took too
long; although once the madness starts there’s plenty of pay off.
All Cheerleaders Die is better than most of it’s class and
for a fan of teen horror comedies it’s definitely worth a view.
All Cheerleaders Die is available on VOD platforms on May 8th.
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