All Cheerleaders Die

Cult directors Lucky McKee (May, The Woman) and Chris Sivertson (The Lost) combine their twisted talents for an engaging rampage through formula high-school horror inspired by their 2001 short of the same name. It's a case of Mean Girls meets The Craft when a young Wiccan uses the dark arts to revive Blackfoot High's pompom brigade when they die in a car crash caused by a jealous quarterback. That is just one of a few subplots bubbling away here though, as an excellent ensemble cast, headed by Caitlin Stasey (from Aussie soap Neighbours), is sent on a supernatural rollercoaster ride of gory blood-sucking death, runestone magic and unusual destruction in a perfect dovetailing of directorial styles. The usual generic elements are given a major lift from mothballed creepiness into something remarkably fresh that amiably jangles the nerves while always remaining blackly amusing.