Movies Gallery 16 of the best cheerleader movies and TV shows These are the shows and movies that refuse to stay on the sidelines, from "Bring It On" to "Jennifer's Body." By Mary Sollosi Mary Sollosi Mary Sollosi is the former assistant features editor at Entertainment Weekly. She left EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines Updated on February 26, 2024 09:12AM EST Trending Videos Close this video player Megan Fox in 'Jennifer's Body'; Kirsten Dunst in 'Bring It On'. Photo: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Universal Pictures At a sporting event, the main action isn't always taking place on the field. Cheer teams can as easily rouse a crowd as they can pep up a plot of their own. Don't pigeonhole these cheerleaders. Elegant displays of athleticism, powerful stunts, and perfectly synchronized cheers are just the start for these spirited squads. To celebrate the sport, EW has pulled together the absolute B! E! S! T! cheerleader films and TV series, from the absurd satire of But I'm a Cheerleader to the gruesome horror of Jennifer's Body. Get fired up! These are the 16 best movies and TV shows that put the spotlight on cheerleaders. 01 of 16 Bring It On (2000) Kirsten Dunst in 'Bring It On'. Universal Pictures Roger Ebert once referred to Bring It On as "the Citizen Kane of cheerleader movies," and no later offerings have had the spirit or the charm to challenge its status as the reigning cheer-tator of the genre. The now-iconic teen movie—the cast of which reunited for EW's annual reunions issue in 2015 — was a hit upon its release in 2000 and spawned no fewer than five direct-to-video sequels, none of which featured the original leads (though Hayden Panettiere, Ashley Benson, and Christina Milian each starred in one). Brrr! Is it cold in here? 02 of 16 But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) Natasha Lyonne in 'But I'm a Cheerleader'. Lionsgate Before she was Nicky Nichols on Orange Is the New Black, Natasha Lyonne played a lesbian cheerleader whose homophobic parents send her to a conversion therapy camp in this 1999 satire. (Spoiler alert: It doesn't work.) 03 of 16 Sugar & Spice (2001) Mena Suvari, Rachel Blanchard, Alexandra Holden, Marley Shelton, Melissa George, and Sara Marsh in 'Sugar & Spice'. New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection Marley Shelton, James Marsden, Marla Sokoloff, and Mena Suvari star in this crime comedy, in which a group of cheerleaders join forces to rob a bank when their team captain gets pregnant (by the star quarterback, naturally) and needs money. Turns out cheerleading stunts are a skill you can take to the bank — literally. 04 of 16 Fired Up! (2009) Nicholas D'Agosto and Sarah Roemer in 'Fired Up!'. Screen Gems/Courtesy Everett Collection In Will Gluck's high school comedy, two football players (Eric Christian Olsen and Nicholas D'Agosto), dreading the prospect of another summer at all-male football camp, get the bright idea to go to cheerleading camp instead, where they would be surrounded by hundreds of female cheerleaders. Once at camp, however, they discover that they actually like cheerleading — and that there's more to it than girls in tiny outfits. 05 of 16 Man of the House (2005) Tommy Lee Jones in 'Man of the House'. Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection When five college cheerleaders witness a violent crime, a Texas Ranger (Tommy Lee Jones) goes undercover as a cheerleading coach and moves into a house with the young women to protect them during the investigation. Of course, the unlikely pairing pays off for both the curmudgeonly officer and the peppy athletes in the end. 06 of 16 Gotta Kick It Up! (2002) Jhoanna Flores, Sabrina Wiener, Camille Guaty, Suilma Rodriguez, and America Ferrera in 'Gotta Kick It Up!'. Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection In one of her first roles, America Ferrera played a (mathematically challenged) member of a middle school cheer-style dance team in this empowering Disney Channel Original Movie. Si, se puede! 07 of 16 Jennifer's Body (2009) Megan Fox in 'Jennifer's Body'. 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection Megan Fox stars in this Diablo Cody-penned black comedy horror film, in which a beautiful and popular cheerleader becomes possessed by a demon and begins viciously murdering boys at school. High school is hell, indeed. 08 of 16 Cheerleader Camp (1988) Cheerleader Camp. Courtesy Everett Collection Cheerleaders were getting violent onscreen decades before Jennifer's Body came out. This cheesy 1988 teen slasher movie stars Betsy Russell as a cheerleader and Leif Garrett as her boyfriend who accompanies her to cheerleading camp, where a mysterious killer starts terrorizing the squad. 09 of 16 The Replacements (1999) The Replacements. Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection This Keanu Reeves flick is the rare football movie that pays enough attention to its cheerleaders to merit inclusion on this list. When an entire NFL team goes on strike, the organization hires a motley crew of replacement players — and cheerleaders. Unfortunately, they have a rough time finding women with extensive cheer experience; luckily, they manage to track down a bunch of strippers to fill in. 10 of 16 Heroes (2006–2010) Hayden Panettiere on 'Heroes'. Dean Hendler/NBC Hayden Panettiere starred as Claire Bennet in the sci-fi drama series. Save the cheerleader, save the world. 11 of 16 Glee (2009–2015) Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, and Dianna Agron on 'Glee'. Michael Yarish/FOX The Cheerios, McKinley High School's nationally ranked cheerleading squad coached by the indomitable Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), were often presented in contrast to the eternally dorky glee club, New Directions. No matter how much the two groups' memberships overlapped, New Directions was positioned at the bottom of the school's social food chain, while the Cheerios were firmly situated at the top of the pyramid. 12 of 16 Hellcats (2010–2011) Aly Michalka and Ashley Tisdale on 'Hellcats'. Jack Rowand/The CW This short-lived CW series starred Aly Michalka as a brainy college student who must join the cheerleading squad in order to secure her scholarship. Michalka's fellow Disney Channel actress Ashley Tisdale also starred, as the Hellcats' intense cheer captain. 13 of 16 Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008) 'Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal'. Lifetime Television/Courtesy Everett Collection In this Lifetime movie inspired by a true story, Jenna Dewan stars as a cheerleading coach who tries to rein in five cheerleaders (one of whom is played by a pre-Pretty Little Liars Ashley Benson) whose status on the squad has enabled them to get away with bullying, underage drinking, and disregarding school rules. 14 of 16 The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) Holly Hunter in 'The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom'. Courtesy Everett Collection Holly Hunter stars in this stranger-than-fiction HBO film, based on the true story of Wanda Holloway, the alleged Texas cheerleader-murdering mom of the title. When Wanda's daughter fails to make the cheerleading squad, Wanda hires a hitman (Beau Bridges) to take out her daughter's friend who was chosen, as well as the girl's mother. 15 of 16 A Friend to Die For (a.k.a. Death of a Cheerleader) (1994) Kellie Martin and Tori Spelling in 'A Friend to Die For (a.k.a. Death of a Cheerleader)'. NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection This creepy made-for-TV movie tells the true story of Bernadette Protti, a shy but jealous high school student who murdered Kirsten Costas, a popular cheerleader whom Protti admired and tried to befriend. Kellie Martin stars as the Protti character, while Tori Spelling plays the cheerleader. 16 of 16 Cheer (2020–2022) Netflix's 'Cheer'. Netflix This Emmy-winning Netflix reality series documents the cheer team for the Navarro College Bulldogs of Corsicana, Texas, in the lead-up to the National Cheerleading Championship. Though the show was hailed as feel-good, scandal rocked the squad when one of its stars, Jerry Harris, was charged and later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for child pornography and sex crimes. Related content: Why aren't there more serious movies about cheerleading? Watch Netflix's Cheer stars judge other iconic cheers Bring It On cast: Where are they now?