'Cheer Squad Secrets’ Review: Despotic coach and drugs unmask the darker side of cheerleading
One of the finest formulas to excel in thriller flicks is debunking the already existing truth with startling twists. Lifetime’s latest thriller ‘Cheer Squad Secrets’ goes exactly by this mantra. It exposes the darker side of cheerleading that is often veiled behind glossy pompoms, bright costumes and fit regimes. The film is part of the edgy cheerleading movie season of Lifetime and is produced by Reel One Entertainment.
The opening scene of the film itself will drop some pulses and build twitchiness. It shows Kelly (Margaret Anne Florence) hung up by her hands in an isolated chamber as she cries for her daughter Amelie Regan (Karis Cameron). The movie cuts to flashbacks, showing a high school that hires a new coach for cheerleading so the team of girls can head for a prestigious competition in nationals. In no time it is revealed that Coach Nina (Anita Brown) is an extremely strict, rough, and despotic coach. She is ambitious and too competitive that she could offer supplements to her cheerleading girls to enhance their performance even though the steroids can internally harm them.
As the plot swiftly moves it reveals to the viewer that these supplements can even cause cardiac arrest and are responsible for the death of one of the students, Ethan. On the other front, away from this malevolence is the happy family of Kelly. Once a former cheerleader, Kelly is now a working woman who is busy raising her teenage daughter, Amelie. Inspired by her mother, Amelie too wants to be into cheerleading and is rather even more ambitious than her. She wants to become a captain and falls into the trap of Nina who misguides her and wickedly blackmails her.
Not realizing that the steroids can actually wreak havoc in her life, Amelie continues to take them. As a result, she turns more aggressive, erratic and obsessed with cheerleading. She lashes out at family and friends frequently and scores low grades, which becomes a huge concern for her parents. This forces them to discourage their daughter from taking up cheerleading. However, the attempts fail as Amelie sneaks to the cheerleading training in some way or the other with Nina's help. Simultaneously, we observe some ghastly traits in Coach Nina. She can go to any lengths to win in the cheerleading competition even if it leads to multiple murders.
Anita Brown essays the wanton coach Nina with her coy remarks like “We get very few chances in this life.” She brings out the dualities of a victim and a villain seamlessly well. For instance, the viewers get a sneak peek on the tragic life of Nina during her teenage days when she was exploited by her coach that waned her cheerleading glory. However, now Nina has translated this victimization to unleash wrath. She blackmails people on the ground of sexual harassment, breaks into houses, spews lies, commits murders, and almost runs scott-free every time. The movie ends with a violent face-off between Kelly, Amelie, and Nina. It is worth watching if Nina will get punished this time?
Coming to the cinematography and direction of the film, one has to credit David Langlois for playing with lights. The movie has many scenes where lighting has amplified the emotion in the frame. For instance, the opening scene where Kelly bears the torture has green light blasting the chamber and emanates malice. Further, there are scenes of violence in the film where red light in the background alerts the viewer heralding dangerous narrative. To sum up, ‘Cheer Squad Secrets’ is a grim tale that peels of the mask of glory in cheerleading.
'Cheer Squad Secrets' releases on October 4 at 8 pm ET on Lifetime Channel.
