11 Cheerleader Films That Made an Impact
These cheerleader films made quite an impact.
**Sugar & Spice (2001)**
New Line Cinema – Credit: C/O
Enjoy a bit of crime mixed with cheers? The edgy *Sugar & Spice*, directed by Francine McDougall, centers around a high school cheerleader who becomes pregnant by the star quarterback and, naturally, convinces her fellow cheerleaders to commit robberies to fund her and the baby’s needs.
It features a lineup of early 2000s stars including Marley Shelton, James Marsden, Marla Sokoloff, Melissa George, and Mena Suvari.
While it may not be the most renowned cheerleader film, it showcases a fun and unconventional moment in cinema.
**Bring It On (1999)**
Universal – Credit: C/O
Considered the gold standard of cheerleader films, *Bring It On* stars Kirsten Dunst as Torrance, a cheerleader at an elite high school in San Diego who learns that the previous captain pilfered their best routines from a school in East Compton. Gabrielle Union portrays her rival who is… perhaps rightly so? Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford join the cast in this iconic early success directed by future Ant-Man filmmaker Peyton Reid.
The film’s writer, Jessica Bendinger, drew inspiration from her experiences as a music journalist and director, exploring cultural appropriation — particularly as a white creator deeply passionate about hip-hop — cleverly weaving these themes into a cheerleader movie.
**The Replacements (2000)**
Warner Bros. Pictures – Credit: C/O
*The Replacements* offers a surprisingly heartfelt depiction of a group of replacement players who step in during an NFL strike.
Keanu Reeves stars as the quarterback who connects with head cheerleader Annabelle Farrell (Brooke Langton), who oversees an inexperienced cheerleading team.
Though one could argue it leans more toward being a football film than a cheerleader one, the cheerleaders definitely steal the spotlight.
**Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008)**
Credit: C/O
This made-for-TV cheerleader movie (thanks to Lifetime!) tells the ripped-from-the-headlines story of Jenna Dewan as a cheerleading coach attempting to control a rowdy gang of mean-girl cheerleaders led by Brooke (Ashley Benson).
The reviews were surprisingly positive.
**Bottoms (2023)**
(L-R) Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, Zamani Wilder, Summer Joy Campbell, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, and Virginia Tucker in *Bottoms*. Courtesy of ORION Pictures Inc. © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved. – Credit: C/O
Director Emma Seligman tells MovieMaker that *Bottoms* is simply about “teen girls who start a fight club to try to impress and hook up with cheerleaders.” It's a brazenly humorous film that playfully challenges the norms often depicted in the countless movies about teenage boys making bets by the end of the school year, indulging in absurd fun along the way.
Featuring rising stars like Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), co-writer Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), and Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s daughter, as the unimpressed head cheerleader, it’s also included in our list of New Comedies That Don’t Mind If You’re Offended.
**But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)**
Credit: C/O
Lions Gate Films
Jamie Babbit’s *But I’m a Cheerleader* stands out as a brilliant work of camp, remarkably ahead of its time in its clever critique of gay conversion therapy. The film stars Natasha Lyonne in a deadpan role as a cheerleader who finds herself disinterested in her boyfriend.
Soon, she’s sent to a Stepford Wives-like rehabilitation center for gay teens, where she ultimately embraces her attraction to women. It’s smart, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
*Bottoms* gives a notable, well-deserved nod to this film.
**Not Another Teen Movie (2001)**
Sony Pictures Releasing – Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
If you enjoy rowdy, irreverent teen comedies that aren't concerned about offending anyone, *Not Another Teen Movie* is made for you.
Among the numerous films it parodies — all with evident affection — is *Bring It On*, where the cheerleading team led by Jaime Pressly can’t even be bothered to alter the cheers they’re appropriating.
*Bottoms* shares a similar playful absurdity with *Not Another Teen Movie*, paying it direct homage.
**Fired Up! (2009)**
Screen Gems – Credit: C/O
Cheerleader films are meant to be enjoyable, and *Fired Up!* relishes in its silliness. It follows two high school football players who opt out of football camp
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