Cheerleader for its use of stereotypes and campy, exaggerated production design, but it’s become a cult classic in the years since.
The movie tells the story of a cheerleader named Megan (played by Natasha Lyonne) who gets sent to a conversion therapy program when her family and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.
When I first saw the movie in my late teens, it helped cement a point that I was struggling with at the time: that being queer doesn’t require you to check certain boxes with regard to the way you look or act.
As Megan learns, being a girly-girl–a cheerleader, even!–doesn’t have anything to do with your sexuality. Neither does having a masculine look or hobbies.