SXSW 2024 Review: “Backspot” – A Dance of Strength and Sensitivity!

Female driven sports films are hard to come by in the sports/drama category, some of the most famous being Bring It On in 2000 and Bend It Like Beckham in 2002 made decades ago. An even smaller bunch focus on cheerleading, which according to Backspot’s director D. W. Waterson in an interview with Variety has one of the highest sports concussion rates, possibly even above football. It is a question why such an intense athletic sport has flown under the radar, commonly being associated with women in makeup and bows prancing around for men’s sports teams.

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However, if one is familiar with the sport in competition terms, these athletes can do stunts like no other, throwing their bodies in the air and achieving acrobatic standards that is mind-blowing. Backspot is D. W. Waterson’s directorial debut and although may falter at times in its filmmaking style, at its core, its ability to defy certain conventions and explore teenage anxiety and strength versus vulnerability pays off.

Riley (Devery Jacobs) cheers with her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) on an amateur cheering squad that practices next to elite squad the ThunderHawks. When the ThunderHawks, under the intense coach Eileen McNamara (Evan Rachel Wood), need to fill a couple of cheer spots, Riley, Amanda, and their friend Rachel (Noa DiBerto) compete to join the dream squad. As Riley must push herself to the limit to please her head coach, her own personal limits and crippling anxiety become even bigger feet to handle.

Backspot succeeds in navigating the struggles of knowing when to display strength and vulnerability, especially as a young queer woman. Riley, feeling like she must present herself as a tough as nails athlete with skyrocketing ambition, director Waterson and screenwriter Joanne Sarazen explore the essential balance of showing strength and vulnerability without having to present oneself as being more than a person. Utilizing small details, such as makeup, play a role in embodying throwing on a shield when necessary but knowing that it is okay to let your mascara run down your face when necessary.

The way Backspot is filmed to display Riley’s anxiety using a majority of close ups and booming music got a little redundant being used constantly. It would have helped to break up these scenes and make them more impactful by deviating the filmmaking style. Pulling the camera back and utilizing some still shots with subjects at the forefront confronting their own anxiety between these extreme close ups would have broken up the monotony. The style and themes coincided well but its overuse and editing fell flat at times.

On the other hand, Waterson did an excellent job exploring the tender moments and relationships between Riley and her friends as well as her coaches. Taking a step back from the intensity and focusing on subtle moments between Riley and her mother (Shannyn Sossamon) as well as assistant coach Devon (Thomas Antony Olajide) were the highlights and where director Waterson was able to thrive in their storytelling.

Backspot has a lot to admire thematically and is was able to represent a fresh set of characters in a sport with common misconceptions. It moves past commonly used sports conventions in film to delve into Riley’s fears and ambitions. Although it faltered at times technically, this movie is worthwhile to witness.

‘Backspot’ Rating – 3.5/5

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