Cheerleaders have been present in cinema long before 2000’s Bring it On popularized the niche. In fact, some of the first cheerleading films were in the horror and thriller genres: Pretty Poison (1968), Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977), Pandemonium (1982). You’d never think that aspects like crime and gore would mix with pom poms, but think again.
Cheerleaders make prime targets for vicious murderers looking for victims to slaughter. They also make excellent villains. The movies on this list see them in all kinds of scenarios. Some are hunted. Others have homicidal blood coursing through their veins. There’s even cheer chanting zombies and vampires. This collection covers everything from slashers to demonic possession to revenge. Expect the unexpected. Ready? OKAY!
Cataloged below are 25 cheerleader horror movies and thrillers.
Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977)
The dark comedy Satan’s Cheerleaders was the first foray into pom pom horror. It’s a B-movie that focuses on Benedict High School’s spirit squad, who are traveling via bus to a football game, unaware of the danger they’re in. They’ve become the target of the school janitor, who’s trying to appease a devil-worshiping cult in need of a virginal sacrifice. Unbeknownst to the Satanic coven, one of the cheerleaders is a witch. This one might be more laughs than frights, but it’s still a gruesomely enjoyable film.
Cheerleader Camp (1988)
Love Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and other summer camp horrors? This slasher is for you. Originally titled Bloody Pom Poms, this obscure low-budget film offers all the trappings of 80s horror: cheesiness, nudity, sex, blood, and gory kills. Alison Wentworth (Betsy Russell) attends a cheerleading summer camp in the middle of nowhere with school mascot Cory (Lucinda Dickey) and the rest of her cheering team. Her boyfriend shows up to surprise her, but he’s more interested in being a sleaze and flirting with the other cheerleaders. As a mysterious killer starts making their rounds, it’s clear that no one is safe. Alison, who has been plagued by terrifying nightmares, begins questioning her role in the murders.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
This vampire comedy was released years before Sarah Michelle Gellar made history as Buffy in the series. In the movie, Kristy Swanson plays the role of the stake-wielding hero. One day she’s living a normal teenage life going to school and cheering on the squad, and suddenly her life is upended when she learns she’s “The Slayer.” Adamant in her disbelief, Buffy eventually accepts that it’s her destiny to protect humanity from bloodsuckers. When an evil vampire rolls into town, she’s prepared to fight.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Jennifer’s Body takes an intimate look at the friendship between two polar opposite teenage girls. Megan Fox stars as the eponymous cheerleader, who’s sacrificed by a band to Satan as a bargain for fame and fortune. The ritual goes epically wrong, and she winds up as a succubus whose survival relies on the flesh of teenage boys. Her best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), struggles with the realization. The feminist film was hugely misunderstood at its time of release. This was largely to blame on the studio, who marketed it to the male gaze. It has since had an immense cultural impact, especially among women and teen girls who empathize with and see themselves in Jennifer. She was never the villain; she was a girl who was objectified, violated, and used by men for their benefit. Her demonic possession is a metaphor for her dehumanization.
Spirit Camp (2009)
Spirit Camp is a ridiculous and cheesy low-budget slasher flick that’s more heavy on comedy than anything else, but it’s worth it for the camp. As part of her rehabilitation program for juvenile detention, Nikki (Roxy Vandiver) is forced to attend a secluded cheerleading camp with peers that just aren’t her cup of tea. Not long after arriving, murder plagues the group. If they want to survive the crazed killer, the girls must swallow their disdain for one another and band together to make it out alive.
All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
The weird girl horror All Cheerleaders Die is an underappreciated gem written and directed by Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson, and a remake of their 2001 movie of the same name. When Alexis (Felisha Cooper) dies in a cheer stunt, her best friend Maddy (Caitlin Stasey) tries out for the spirit squad with revenge on her mind. For unknown reasons, Maddy wants to take down the football captain, Terry (Tom Williamson), Alexis’ boyfriend, who doesn’t seem at all devastated about her death. Things take a supernatural turn after he causes an accident and it forces Maddy’s ex-girlfriend, Leena (Sianoa Smit-McPhee), to bring back a few cheerleaders from the dead using a magical gemstone. Maddy and the rest of the undead squad members exact bloody vengeance against the football team.
Varsity Blood (2014)
Varsity Blood’s premise is nothing new to the horror genre—teenagers partying in the middle of nowhere soon find themselves in danger. In this slasher, a bunch of cheerleaders and jocks throw a Halloween party at a secluded farmhouse. Their night of debauchery doesn’t go as planned when someone dressed as their high school’s mascot starts spilling blood. The movie has a small-town feel, revenge, gore, twists and turns, and a high pile of bodies.
Tragedy Girls (2017)
Tragedy Girls is like if Scream was made from Billy and Stu’s POV, and the two Ghostfaces just happened to be mean girls on the spirit squad. Death-obsessed besties McKayla Hooper and Sadie Cunningham (Alexandra Shipp and Brianna Hildebrand) cheer together, report on true crime together, and kill together. The movie begins with the duo enacting a plan to capture a serial killer. When they succeed, it’s revealed that they want the maniac to be their “teacher” and help make their true crime blog, Tragedy Girls, relevant. When he refuses, they hold him hostage and go on a murder spree, pinning the crimes on him, and becoming viral in the process. The movie has one of the best final girl subversions in the genre.
Deinfluencer (2022)
Social media horror Deinfluencer sees a teenage cheerleader learn that internet fame can come at a horrifying price. Kelly (Marie Luciani Grimaldi) finds herself fighting for her life when she becomes imprisoned by a masked maniac and is forced to undergo a series of increasingly violent challenges on social media. It’s not just her life that depends on it, but those of other young women, including Sabrina (Caylin Turner). The movie leaves the audience guessing what the kidnapper’s true motives are, because it’s clear there’s something this villain is after. Fans of Saw and indie horror will enjoy this one.
Bring it On: Cheer or Die (2022)
The cheerleading competition franchise steps into slasher territory with Bring it On: Cheer or Die. The movie opens in 2002, with a Diablos cheerleader dying at the Regional Cheer Competition during a high-risk maneuver. 20 years laters, the Elk Moore High School spirit squad is still banned from performing stunts. The cheer captain, Abby (Kerri Medders), is determined to win Regionals, and isn’t going to let their principal stop the team from outshining their rivals. So, the cheer squad decides to secretly practice their stunts at an abandoned high school on Halloween night, where they’re hunted by a masked killer. The movie is light on horror, but makes for some silly fun.
More cheerleader horror movies…
Pretty Poison (1968) a cult film about the bond between a parolee and a high school cheerleader that descends into murder and mayhem, starring Anthony Perkins and Tuesday Weld.
Pandemonium (1982) In this parody slasher, a lone survivor of a murderous attack on a group of cheerleaders reopens a cheerleading program at her former high school almost two decades after its closure, ignoring warnings of a curse. Her campers soon become the prey of a crazed killer.
The Majorettes (1987) is cheerleader-horror-adjacent. The slasher focuses on a small-town high school majorette squad whose members start being mysteriously murdered by a killer who wants to “save their souls.”
Death of a Cheerleader (1994) is a cult classic made-for-TV movie otherwise known as A Friend to Die For. It’s inspired by the real-life murder of Kirsten Costas, and stars Tori Spelling and Kellie Martin. The story focuses on the rivalry of two teenage girls that leads to a brutal stabbing.
Lying Eyes (1996) is a made-for-TV thriller about stalking and obsession. Cassidy Rae stars as Amy Miller, a high school cheerleader who’s groomed by an older man. When she finds out he’s married, she leaves him, but he refuses to leave her alone.
Star Hunter (1996) is a sci-fi horror about a bus full of cheerleaders and football players who encounter killer aliens.
Head Cheerleader, Dead Cheerleader (2000) After the murder of one of her friends, a head cheerleader begins receiving mysterious phone calls from the killer.
The Cheerleader Murders (2016) a Lifetime movie about a teen who has held the belief that she’s cursed since the murder of her sister and father. Three years later, two of her fellow cheerleaders are kidnapped, and one is murdered. She believes it’s because of the curse. When she receives threats, she launches an investigation into the perpetrator.
Zombies (2018) is geared towards family friendly fun. The Disney movie centers on the unlikely friendship between a cheerleader and a zombie.
Vampz (2019) When a cheerleader becomes roommates with a Goth vampire wannabe, it sends a vampire hunter hot on their trail.
Teenage Vampire (2020) is a PG vampire movie about two girls who join a cheer squad only to discover it’s infested with bloodsuckers.
Who Is Killing the Cheerleaders? (2020) a Lifetime mystery about a former cheerleader who returns to her high school to teach a decade after a killer claimed the lives of her fellow squad members.
The Cheerleader Sleepover Slaughter (2022) A wannabe cheerleader invites the cheer squad over to her house for a sleepover while her mom’s out of town. There have been disappearances in the area, and not everyone will survive the night.
Powertool Cheerleaders vs Boyband Screeching Dead (2022) During a TV talent show, a boyband is turned into zombies, and a group of cheerleaders must save the day.
Summerhouse Slaughter (2023) a no-budget slasher about a cheer squad who’s burned to death in an accident. The only survivor returns to cheerleader camp, where someone in a panda costume is on an hourly murder spree.
Further reading:
- 23+ Sorority Horror Movies
- ‘Bring It On: Cheer or Die’ – Who Asked for This?
- 13 Best Mean Girls in Horror
