All Cheerleaders Die - A playful and comedic affair, providing a spin on the traditional high school comedy

Lucky McKee may sound more like a character from Balamory than a purveyor of cinematic horror but after his brutal last film The Woman shocked audiences with its tale of a feral woman captured and tortured by a successful country lawyer, he joined the likes of Ti West (The Innkeepers) and Adam Wingard (You’re Next) at the forefront of a new horror movement.

McKee’s follow-up may surprise some as although it’s not without horror moments, it is a far more playful and comedic affair, providing a spin on the traditional high school comedy. All the usual tropes are in place, the bitchy cheerleaders, the alpha-male jock, the socially awkward nerds and there’s plenty of slow-motion walking down school corridors. The film opens like a cross between Spring Breakers and Bring It On but McKee and co-director Chris Sivertson introduce supernatural elements with mixed results.

Former Neighbours actress Caitlin Stasey plays Maddy, a budding film-maker whose best friend, Alexis is the school’s lead cheerleader. When Alexis is killed during a cheerleading routine, Maddy vows to get revenge on her boyfriend Terry, the star football player, after he wastes no time in starting a new romance with new cheerleading captain, Tracy. Things are going to plan until Maddy, Tracy and a couple of friends are involved in a fatal car accident and it’s at this point that events take an unusual turn. Maddy’s neighbour Leena, who happens to have something of a crush on her, brings the dead girls back to life using a bag of magic crystals. The four newly resurrected girls look (mostly) normal except they struggle to control their libido and they now require human blood to stay upright.

If all this sounds pretty bonkers, it’s because it is.There’s a strong anarchic feel to proceedings as the four cheerleaders attempt to control their new found desires. Meanwhile, Terry discovers what’s happened to the cheerleaders and has a violent plan of his own. McKee and Sivertson should be applauded for creating an atmosphere where it feels like anything could happen and it’s mostly fun, although even at under 90 minutes, it does feel a little long and some developments feel like a step too far. The cast are game and although there’s a fair amount of gore, it was never too much for my delicate sensibilities.