‘Backspot’ Leans into Laidback, Slice-of-Life Storytelling (Review)
The queer cheerleader drama "Backspot" nails the vibe of suburban teen life all too well with its low-stakes character study.
Neither sexual confusion nor finding love and acceptance are the driving concerns for queer teen Riley, the cheerleading heroine of the understated drama Backspot.
Teenagers, be they LGBTQ or straight, have more than just landing their crush, or avoiding school bullies to fill their plates, so it’s refreshing to see a feature — director D.W. Waterson’s first — address other subjects of adolescent ambition, anxiety, and fixation.
Riley, ably portrayed by Reservation Dogs breakout Devery Jacobs, already has a great girlfriend, Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo), a supportive mom, Tracy (Shannyn Sossamon), and a respected position among her teammates on the Fuzion cheer squad.
What she wants, more than anything, is a spot on the elite squad the Thunder Hawks, led by ball-busting coach Eileen (Evan Rachel Wood) and her wry gay sidekick Devon (Thomas Antony Olajide). With a major competition approaching, the Thunder Hawks are down a few girls in their roster, lending an opportunity for Fuzion power couple Riley and Amanda, and their best friend Rachel (Noa DiBerto), to try out and step up a level.
The fight is on for a position in the squad pyramid — base, flyer, or backspot. So commences Riley’s hard work and worry, played out in training montages, and introspective, world-whizzing-by montages, and anxious panic montages. The film dips frequently in the montage well, providing padding for the virtually plot-free script by Joanne Sarazen (from a story by Waterson). Essentially, the movie runs on character and vibes.
The character details, especially as they pertain to Riley, can be compelling. For one, she battles compulsive tendencies, much like her cleanliness-obsessed mom. Closeups of Riley, in fits of trichotillomania, yanking her eyebrows out hair by hair, capture the painful insecurity pushing her to make the Thunder Hawks at all costs.
She sacrifices her mental and emotional stability in pursuit of her goal, and even risks her blissfully happy relationship with Amanda. Yet, ultimately, not much happens. The competition comes and goes with no real stakes. No other character has any substantive subplot of their own.
The air shifts subtly around Riley, as she tests her single-minded resolve to impress coach Eileen. Gradually, she learns to maybe not pull her hair out, literally and figuratively, over gaining one person’s approval.
In its laidback, slice-of-life storytelling, Backspot exudes the atmosphere of teens hanging out, doing normal teenage stuff. Riley and Amanda sing their lungs out to showtunes in the car on the way home from cheerleading practice, or joke around as they finish their shift at the Cineplex. Riley sneaks into a queer club with a fake ID for the first time, and has a blast — until the tequila shots catch up to her.
Jacobs, also one of the film’s producers, delivers a nicely restrained performance, balancing Riley’s bravado and sensitivity. She also performs most of her own tumbling and cheer stunts, including a climactic cheer routine shot in one, impressive long take. Unfortunately, the scene is presented entirely in slow-motion, which dampens the impact of the moves and choreography.
The film makes a persuasive point about the impact of this sport on the cheerleaders’ bodies. In an amusing scene pitting the cheer squad against a snarky feminist lesbian, Riley insists that cheerleaders are real athletes. And the camera often lingers on the blistered feet and bruises, and the veritable torture of girls forcing their leg extensions until they can sit in a perfect split.
Pain is essential to making champions, according to coach Eileen. Wood is magnetic in the taskmaster role, if a bit too intense at times for this movie, delivering Eileen’s withering stares and icy putdowns with the wicked aplomb of a Glenn Close villain.
But it makes sense that Eileen would wield such a powerful, aspirational spell over her girls, that Riley might look up to her — especially after discovering that Eileen’s a power-lesbian divorcée.
In the time-honored tradition of movie teens willing to alter their behavior or whole personality to fit in with somebody, Riley also discovers that, alas, it’s best to just be yourself. Be your own biggest cheerleader.
Backspot (★★★☆☆) is currently available to stream via VOD on most platforms.
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