Undercover Cheerleader is a 2019 Canadian-produced Lifetime Movie of the Week Teen Drama Thriller, written by Lauren Balson Carter and directed by Danny J. Boyle (not him). It was part of the network's Cheer! Rally! Kill! event, with five original cheerleader-themed thrillers.
New Transfer Student Autumn (Kayla Wallace) starts at her new high school, with school newspaper editor Kara (Maddie Phillips, Sterling on Teenage Bounty Hunters) chosen as her "campus liaison". Head cheerleader Jenny (Samantha Schimmer) sees Autumn as a threat and, learning that she has a dance background, invites her to join the cheer squad as a "keep your enemies closer" tactic. Kara had also invited Autumn to join the school paper (having written for the paper at her previous school), but with the cheer invitation, Kara hatches a scheme: Autumn joins the squad, but as an undercover reporter, investigating allegations of hazing and abuse from Dot (Sarah-Jane Redmond), the cheer coach. Autumn's anonymous articles cause a stir at school and infuriate Dot, who wants to find the mole and punish them. When one cheerleader gets attacked and another is killed, and Autumn finds herself mysteriously stalked, it seems Dot will stop at nothing to uncover the Undercover Cheerleader, but this is a Lifetime thriller, so there may be a crazy plot twist or two awaiting everyone.
Undercover Cheerleader contains examples of:
- Alpha Bitch: Jenny is this for the cheer squad, and Bella is her faithful Beta Bitch.
- Ambiguously Bi: The Reveal that Kara has become a Yandere for Autumn seems to suggest that her interest in the girl goes far beyond friendship. She also has zero romantic interest in Max, despite his obvious crush on her.
- Beauty Is Bad: Blonde glam queen Jenny is The Dragon to Coach Dot.
- Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: A Big Damn Heroes moment at the climax for Cynthia, Autumn's mom, as she uses a shovel to knock Kara out, then rescues Autumn.
- Deadpan Snarker: Max, Kara's assistant on the school paper, has a dry sense of humor.
- Formerly Fat: Apparently Kara, who doesn't want anyone to know.
- Halfway Plot Switch: The first part of the movie is fairly light, playing like a cross between Degrassi High, Mean Girls and Bring It On, with Autumn infiltrating the cheer squad and facing an ethical conflict when she grows close to several of the cheerleaders. The second half becomes a Darker and Edgier Thriller.
- If I Can't Have You…: At the climax we learn that Kara attacked Heidi—she intruded on her friendship with Autumn, and she threatens to kill Autumn when Autumn finds out.
- The Ingenue: Autumn is quiet and shy compared to the other girls.
- Oblivious to Love: Max clearly loves Kara, who treats him as an annoyance.
- Plot Twist: Heidi was killed by Kara, who underwent a Face–Heel Turn and became a Yandere for Autumn.
- Police Are Useless: After a few dead ends, the police manage to crack the case, unfortunately Autumn is already trapped by Kara when she finds out.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Coach Dot singles out Megan, the squad's only black member, for abuse, making her place on the team conditional based on losing weight, then making her do a tumble she'd never practiced before, resulting in serious injury.
- Red Herring:
- Samantha getting attacked turns out to be unconnected to Heidi getting killed, except for it being Kara's inspiration to go after Heidi.
- Max's uncertain role in the story almost makes it feel like he's getting set up for a Face–Heel Turn that reveals him to be the villain. Autumn even comes to that conclusion herself, but he ends up totally clean.
- While evil, Coach Dot doesn't turn out to be the ultimate villain.
- Slipping a Mickey: Autumn drinks a cup of tea she was offered by Kara, who drugged it to incapacitate her.
- Title Drop: Autumn uses "Undercover Cheerleader" as her school newspaper byline.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The Cheer! Rally! Kill! promo trailer
(with clips from all five movies) included the scene where Kara is knocked out with a shovel. - We Used to Be Friends: Kara and Jenny, which turns out to be the reason Kara wanted to expose the cheer squad, as a way to get back at Jenny and Heidi, who she blames for the end of the friendship.
- Weight Woe: Coach Dot orders her squad to lose weight, putting them on a diet full of grapes, bone broth and laxatives.
- Wild Teen Party: The turning point of the film, as Autumn hosts a rave at her house (without her mother's knowledge or permission while she's out of town), that ends up with fellow cheerleader Heidi dying when she's knocked over by a car while she walks home.
- Yandere: In the climax, we learn that Kara is one for Autumn, as explained in the Motive Rant.Kara: I don't have that many girlfriends, okay? And then you came along, and...I didn't want anyone to hurt you. But then you had to go and get a new best friend! How could you do that to me? I'd already lost one best friend to Heidi!
