Noa DiBerto

Backspot invites comparisons to 2014’s Whiplash, among other films featuring ambitious strivers and harsh mentors. But Backspot is more a of character study, showing a teenage cheerleader’s interactions not just with her coach but her girlfriend, her mom, and others. Riley is a backspot—a position on a cheer squad that monitors others for safety and balance during lifts. Incredibly driven, she’s also sympathetic, plucking out her eyebrows in private while she watches phone videos at night of that day’s practice. No one should be this high-strung, let alone a teenager. Overall, Backspot is a portrait of a young athlete that doesn’t stick the landing.