Elliot Page’s new lesbian cheerleading film Backspot gets new trailer
Backspot stars Devery Jacobs and is produced by Elliot Page. (YouTube/XYZ Films/Getty)
A new trailer for Elliot Page’s latest project, the lesbian cheerleading film Backspot, has landed and it looks like a sweaty, pulsating ride.
The new drama follows queer Reservation Dogs actress Devery Jacobs as Riley, a mid-weight cheerleader who gets offered the chance to join an all-star squad, the Thunderhawks.
Her coach Eileen McNamara, played by Emmy-nominated Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood, is ruthless in her attempts to push Riley to reach her full potential – even if there’s an injury or two along the way.
Riley must navigate the pressures of being an athlete on the brink of superstardom, while trying to get her crippling anxiety under control.
Plus, she’s got a relationship with fellow cheerleader Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) to maintain. Oh, and there’s a competition on the horizon.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “Overwhelmed, obsessive and with a competition looming, this young queer athlete must decipher her own voice from the women around her, and form a healthier relationship [with] the sport she loves.”
The film’s executive producer is trans trailblazer Page via his production company, Pageboy Productions, and is the feature-length debut of non-binary director D. W. Waterson.
In a new two-minute trailer, Riley swaps school gyms for screaming crowds as her cheerleading career reaches new heights, but the threats are numerous. It’s a heart pounding watch, and that’s just the teaser.
The movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last September to a pretty impressive audience response, and now has a 77 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
According to the trailer, the film is due to open on 31 May, although it’s not clear if this is an international release or solely in the US.
Backspot becomes the second queer sports film set for release this spring, following Zendaya’s tennis drama Challengers, which is due out on 26 April.
God’s Own Country star Josh O’Connor, who play tennis star Patrick Zweig and one third of the film’s love triangle, recently confirmed his character’s sexuality is “fluid” – and that he and Mike Faist, who plays rival Art Donaldson, kiss in the film.
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