What Is All Cheerleaders Die About?
The premise of All Cheerleaders Die in 331 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a sleepy suburban town where Friday night lights dominate every conversation, the world of high‑school sports feels like a ritual. The rhythm of practices, pep rallies, and endless gossip creates a backdrop that feels both familiar and charged with unspoken expectations. When the football squad decides to escape the bleachers for a weekend in the woods, the promise of fire‑cooked meals and starlit conversations masks an undercurrent of competition that never truly leaves the field.
The getaway gathers five varsity players and the cheerleaders who share their lives off‑season. Among them is Mäddy Killian, a determined athlete‑turned‑cheerleader whose camera eye captures every moment, and Tracey Beezley, whose relationship with the team’s star quarterback adds a layer of romance and rivalry. Terry Stankus leads the football crew with the swagger of a hometown hero, while Martha Apple and her shy sister Hanna Popkin bring a mix of piety and quiet resolve to the squad. Their camaraderie is tested the moment the boys turn the campsite into an impromptu arena, coaxing the girls into football drills and a spirited men‑vs‑women scrimmage that blurs the lines between game and spectacle.
Beneath the playful banter, a secret pact stirs. The night before the trip, one of the cheerleaders quietly gathered her friends into a witches’ coven, bestowing upon them a flicker of supernatural power—a subtle defiance of the town’s stereotypes and a whispered claim that “blondes have brains.” This hidden magic hints at a deeper bond among the girls, a shared confidence that will linger long after the whistles fade.
The tone of All Cheerleaders Die balances the bright, kinetic energy of teen athletics with a growing sense of unease. The woods become more than a backdrop; they echo with the possibilities of unseen forces and the tension of unspoken rivalries. As the night deepens, the audience is invited to wonder how far the line between sport and sorcery can be pushed, and what hidden strengths might emerge when youthful bravado meets ancient mystery.
What Happens in All Cheerleaders Die?
The complete story of All Cheerleaders Die, from the first scene to the last, in 617 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with Mäddy Killian recording footage of her childhood friend Alexis as she prepares for the final days of school and for cheerleading practice. She discusses how important it is to stay in shape and how dangerous cheerleading can be, highlighting how easily advanced stunts can end in severe or deadly injuries. This warning proves tragically true when Alexis is hurled into the air and her teammates fail to catch her in time, leaving her dead.
As school resumes, Mäddy decides to try out for the cheerleading squad and soon earns a spot thanks to her acrobatic skill. During this period, Tracey Beezley begins dating Terry Stankus, the football star who had been involved with Alexis before her death. Mäddy starts to fit in with the other pushers of spirit on the squad—the overly religious and prissy Martha Apple and her shy sister Hanna Popkin, who serves as the team’s mascot. This lively dynamic unsettles Mäddy’s ex-girlfriend Leena, who can’t quite understand why Mäddy has chosen to become so close to the cheerleaders. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Mäddy has joined the squad with a hidden motive: revenge on Terry for reasons that are not yet disclosed.
Mäddy begins laying the groundwork for her retaliation by convincing Tracey Beezley that Terry cheated on her during the summer, and she even manages to lure Tracey into a group gathering of cheerleaders and football players. This rift deeply wounds Leena and infuriates Terry, who escalates the conflict and bans the football players from dating the cheerleaders.
In a fit of anger, Terry punches Tracey, and when the squad tries to flee, he triggers a disaster that costs all the cheerleaders their lives. Horrified, Leena uses Wicca magic and magical stones to revive the dead girls. The next day, the revived team is disoriented and scared, and Martha and Hanna discover they have somehow swapped bodies.
The revived girls can’t recall exactly what happened until Leena explains the events of the previous night. They are also very hungry, prompting them to attack a neighbor to drain his blood. They return to school, where the football players witness something impossible: the cheerleaders, who were presumed dead, are alive again. During the day, the revived squad begins to pick off the football players, driven either by hunger or by anger—Martha, for instance, reacts with fury when she learns that her sister slept with her boyfriend Manny.
Although the group initially tries to stay united, their fragile solidarity begins to unravel as the day’s deaths and Mäddy’s diary entries reveal her true motive for joining the squad. She confronts them with the truth that she joined to exact revenge, but none of the others will listen, especially not Tracey, who has started to fall for Mäddy.
The only person willing to listen is Leena, and Mäddy confesses that she was raped by Terry while filming a memorial for Alexis and that revenge had driven her from the start. The tension mounts as Terry tracks them down, determined to exploit the girls’ magic for his own ends. He believes he can control the power by obtaining the magic stones, but Mäddy and Leena manage to thwart him when Leena’s magic forces the stones out of him.
Mäddy dies once more in the ensuing struggle, only to be revived again by Leena’s grief—an act that mirrors the earlier resurrection. The two share a kiss, momentarily finding comfort in each other, until a gruesome twist reveals Alexis tearing her way out of Terry’s corpse (the person whose grave he had collapsed onto). The film ends with a title card announcing that this is only the first part, and that a sequel is on the way.
All Cheerleaders Die Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Mäddy records Alexis and warns of danger” to “Death, resurrection, kiss, and Alexis’ emergence”. 14 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Mäddy records Alexis and warns of danger
The film opens with Mäddy Killian filming Alexis as she prepares for the last days of school and cheer practice. Mäddy emphasizes the importance of staying in shape and notes how dangerous advanced stunts can be. This early warning foreshadows the tragedy to come.
When:Pre-final days of the school year Where:Cheer practice area
- 2
Alexis dies in a stunt
During a routine stunt, Alexis is hurled into the air and the teammates fail to catch her in time, resulting in her death. The tragedy devastates her friends and exposes the danger Mäddy warned about. The incident becomes the catalyst that shapes Mäddy’s future actions.
When:Final days of the school year Where:Cheer practice area / school field
- 3
Mäddy earns a spot on the squad
As school resumes, Mäddy auditions and earns a place on the cheer squad thanks to her acrobatic skill. She quickly fits in with the pushers of spirit, including Martha and Hanna. Behind her smile, Mäddy keeps a hidden motive rooted in revenge against Terry.
When:Early in the new school year Where:School cheer squad facility
- 4
Tracey Beezley begins dating Terry Stankus
Tracey Beezley begins dating Terry Stankus, the football star who had previously been involved with Alexis. Mäddy's growing acceptance in the group sows unease with Leena, who senses tension. The romance adds fuel to the social divide between the cheerleaders and football players.
When:Early in the school year Where:School
- 5
Mäddy begins her revenge plan
Mäddy starts laying groundwork for retaliation by convincing Tracey that Terry cheated on her during the summer. She lures Tracey into a group gathering of cheerleaders and football players, deepening the rift. The manipulation strains the squad's dynamics and marks Mäddy's hidden motive coming to light.
When:Shortly after school resumes Where:Group gathering of cheerleaders and football players
- 6
Terry's punch triggers disaster
In a fit of anger, Terry punches Tracey, triggering chaos among the group. As the squad tries to flee, he unleashes a disaster that costs all the cheerleaders their lives. The tragedy devastates the school and launches the central mystery of what happened that night.
When:During the same event Where:Football field / stadium
- 7
Leena resurrects the dead
Horrified, Leena uses Wicca magic and magical stones to revive the dead girls. The revived team awakens the next day disoriented and scared as they struggle to recall the previous night. Martha and Hanna discover they have somehow swapped bodies.
When:The day after the revival Where:School grounds
- 8
The revived return to school
The revived girls return to school and are confronted by the football players who witness something unbelievable: the cheerleaders, presumed dead, are alive again. Their reappearance deepens the mystery and unsettles everyone. The girls begin to sense the power they now hold.
When:Soon after revival Where:School
- 9
The undead hunger surfaces
The revived squad becomes increasingly hungry, prompting them to attack a neighbor to drain his blood. The hunger tests their fragile unity and exposes the dangers of their new powers. This moment marks their descent from victims to predators.
When:Night after revival Where:Neighbor's house
- 10
Killings spread to the football players
Back at school, the undead begin targeting the football players, driven by hunger or by anger, including Martha’s fury when she learns her sister slept with Manny. The group’s sense of unity frays as fear and bloodshed continue. The campus is overwhelmed by a chilling atmosphere.
When:Following days Where:School / campus
Show the other 4 events of All Cheerleaders Die Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Mäddy’s diary reveals the motive
As the body count climbs, Mäddy’s diary entries reveal that she joined the squad to exact revenge on Terry. The truth unsettles the others and makes Tracey question her loyalties as Leena tries to mediate. The revelation deepens the emotional stakes for everyone involved.
When:During the day Where:School
- 12
Mäddy reveals the rape detail
Mäddy finally tells Leena that she was raped by Terry while filming a memorial for Alexis, explaining the revenge motive that drove her from the start. The confession shifts the group's dynamics and gives Leena a new sense of purpose.
When:Later that day Where:Private location
- 13
Terry pursues control of the stones
Terry tracks the revived girls, hoping to use their magic to control the power and obtain the stones. Mäddy and Leena thwart him by forcing the stones out of him with their magic. The confrontation edges toward a final showdown.
When:Final confrontation Where:Around town / school vicinity
- 14
Death, resurrection, kiss, and Alexis’ emergence
Mäddy dies once more in the struggle, only to be revived again by Leena’s grief, and the two share a kiss. In the final twist, Alexis tears her way out of Terry’s corpse, setting a grisly, dramatic end and signaling a sequel.
When:End of film Where:Terry's grave / cemetery
Who Are the Main Characters in All Cheerleaders Die?
8 characters, among them Mäddy Killian, Tracey Beezley (Drama) and Terry Stankus (Jesse Hlubik): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 5 of them link to the actor’s page.
- MK
Mäddy Killian
A new member of the cheerleading squad with a hidden motive: revenge against Terry. She is resourceful and calculating, willing to manipulate relationships to achieve her goal. Her trauma and distrust of the squad reveal a darker, more dangerous side as events unfold.
- 🌟 Antihero
- 🗡️ Revenge seeker
- TB
Tracey Beezley (Drama)
Played by Drama
A cheerleader who begins dating Terry and becomes entangled in the escalating conflict. Her innocence contrasts with the violence around her, making her a target as loyalties blur. She is drawn into the group's dynamics and experiences the consequences of the rift.
- 💃 Cheerleader
- 🧭 Social climber
- TS
Terry Stankus (Jesse Hlubik)
Played by Jesse Hlubik
The football star whose actions spark the disaster that kills the squad. He is hot-headed, controlling, and eager to leverage power, which leads him to clash with players and girls alike. His pursuit of control triggers a deadly chain of events.
- 🏈 Football star
- 🔥 Aggressive
- MA
Martha Apple (Jennifer Grant)
Played by Jennifer Grant
An overly religious, controlling cheerleading leader who clashes with the other squad members. Her possessiveness over family and faith shapes the group’s atmosphere and heightens tensions when secrets surface. She embodies strict conformity and social power in the squad.
- 🙏 Pious
- 👑 Leader
- HP
Hanna Popkin (Julia Carpenter)
Played by Julia Carpenter
Martha's shy sister who serves as the team’s mascot. She is gentle and reserved, but becomes deeply affected by the tension and magic surrounding the squad. The body-swapping twist and revived dead reveal vulnerability under the surface.
- 😌 Mascot
- 🫧 Innocent
- L
Leena
Mäddy's ally who uses Wicca magic to revive the dead and explain the night’s events. She is pragmatic, empathetic, and supportive, though her choices reveal a willingness to bend rules for her friends. Her grief drives the magical interventions.
- 🪄 Witch
- 💧 Grief
- A
Alexis
Mäddy's childhood friend whose death becomes the catalyst for the events. Her memory motivates revenge, and her posthumous presence—through revival—drives fear as the dead return with a hunger for blood. Alexis's fate cycles through the narrative as a haunting symbol.
- 🧭 Memorial
- 🩸 Vampire-like
- GS
George Shank (Chris Heinrich)
Played by Chris Heinrich
An adult figure connected to the school environment (likely a staff member or authority figure). His presence anchors the events in the school world and interacts with the players as tensions rise. He observes or intervenes as the crisis unfolds.
- 🏫 Authority
- 👀 Witness
Where and When Is All Cheerleaders Die Set?
All Cheerleaders Die is set in High school and suburban town (2010s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
2010s
The events unfold in a contemporary setting, with modern teen culture and school life. The period features the familiar rhythms of a high school year—final exams, homecoming energy, and evolving relationships—before the supernatural twists alter the normal timeline.
Where
High school, suburban town
The story centers on a contemporary American high school and its surrounding neighborhood. The school grounds, football field, and hallways host the drama—rivalries between cheerleaders and football players, pep rallies, and tense social dynamics. The community is tight-knit enough that the events ripple through friends, families, and classrooms.
- 🏫 High school
- 🏡 Suburban town
What Are the Themes of All Cheerleaders Die?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Revenge, Magic and Cliques.
-
01
Revenge
Mäddy joins the cheer squad under a hidden motive: to exact revenge on Terry for past wrongs. The plan drives manipulation, betrayal, and a chilling escalation of violence. As the truth about Mäddy's trauma emerges, the cost of revenge becomes painfully clear, fracturing friendships and trust.
-
02
Magic
The revived cheerleaders return through Wicca magic and magical stones, bringing a supernatural layer to the high school drama. The power is seductive and dangerous, blurring lines between life and death. The magic creates unexpected consequences, including body-swapping and predatory hunger that renews the threat.
-
03
Cliques
The film skewers teen social hierarchies, portraying the bitter rivalries between the cheerleaders and football players. The group dynamics—alliances, jealousy, and fragile unity—drive the plot as loyalties shift under pressure. The high school world amplifies personal vendettas into catastrophic consequences.
What Kind of Film Is All Cheerleaders Die?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Mixed
A dark and bloody supernatural horror fueled by vengeance and chaos, where resurrected cheerleaders seek bloody revenge on their football player tormentors, resulting in a tense and unsettling atmosphere.
- bloody
- vengeful
- chaotic
- supernatural
- unsettling
- angry
- revenge
- witchcraft
- zombies
- high school
Content notes: sexual assault, murder, blood and gore, corpse reanimation.
Quiz
How well do you remember All Cheerleaders Die? Test yourself on the story.
