Backspot, 2024.
Directed by D.W. Waterson.
Starring Devery Jacobs, Kudakwashe Rutendo, Shannyn Sossamon, Wendy Crewson, Oluniké Adeliyi, Thomas Antony Olajide, Evan Rachel Wood, Noa DiBerto, Emmerly Tinglin, Marlee Sansom, Adrianna Di Liello, Bria Grace Mitchell, and Madison Seguin.
SYNOPSIS:
Riley is given the chance to cheer with the all-star squad, Thunderhawks. With a competition looming, Riley must navigate her crippling anxiety, her relationship with her girlfriend, and her desperate need for approval from her new coach.
Credit to director D.W. Waterson and cinematographer Jason Knight for taking the central activity of Backspot – cheerleading – and shooting the impressive displays of acrobatics and athleticism with immersion. An opening sequence showcases a practice montage with cameras seemingly strapped to several cheerleaders as they perform flips and cartwheels while occasionally banding together to throw someone up in the air and catch them on the way down. The filmmakers know how demanding and challenging all of this is to pull off, aiming to do justice in demonstrating just how much it takes to excel in these positions.
In that regard, Backspot is a success, often taking time to highlight the calluses and sores that materialize from hours and hours of practice. Even those practice sessions are not free from mistakes and painful injuries that put some characters on the shelf, giving other characters more opportunities to seize. The assembled ensemble also authentically portrays the movements, dripping sweat and draining energy. There is no denying that these filmmakers and actors know what they are doing regarding the cheerleader aspect.
Unfortunately, the narrative surrounding Backspot is fumbled in the equivalent of someone accidentally letting one of those girls fall on their face. It is centered on the ambitious Riley (Devery Jacobs), eager to step up her game alongside her more skilled girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) and their friend Rachel (Noa DiBerto), trying out for the Thunderhawks squad.
All three of them are selected to join the squad, whereas their other friend, Leila (Marlee Sansom), is denied. Leila is also quick to point out she was likely left out since she is not skinny and conventionally attractive like them, which would be a fascinating hot-button topic to explore within cheerleading, except that she is shoved aside, and the beauty standards plot thread is practically dropped. To be fair, there is a scene where Riley gets her nose unintentionally busted during a practice, subsequently freaking out that she will get cut for not being pretty enough, only to be immediately reassured that it won’t happen.
Instead, the majority of Backspot deals with Riley not only pushing herself to prove her worth to a cold and ruthless coach (Evan Rachel Wood) but also to improve beyond the talent of Amanda, who is generally complimented for making the routines and movements look easy and painless with a smile on her face. This coach also warns Riley that further pushing herself could cause relationship complications, appearing to speak from experience. The drama there has potential, as does the growing distance between Riley and her mother (Shannyn Sossamon.)
Backspot is stuck in second gear and, despite its R rating, doesn’t feel compelled to dive into the all-consuming nature of obsessively chasing perfection truly. Aside from frequently showing extreme close-ups of Riley scratching her eyebrows so hard that strands of hair occasionally fall off, indicating the anxiety and stress she is putting herself through, the film doesn’t necessarily do much to show the toll that this is taking. Even the relationship between her and Amanda never truly feels in jeopardy. For as accurate as the depiction of cheerleading is here, a lot also feels artificial and sanitized, as if the filmmakers are holding back.
Setting that aside, Backspot is hypnotic enough to watch during the actual cheerleading practice and an eventual performance that it earns a pass. That is until a third act confirms everything mentioned above, settling on the safest, cleanest, positive ending conceivable, which feels like a betrayal to everything this movie is about. It faceplants during those last 20 minutes.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
