Many critics found the plot straightforward and the killer's identity easy to guess.
The film is noted for an "oddly surreal feel" because the rest of the town seems strangely unbothered by the string of deaths. The Cheerleader Murders
Samantha Boscarino’s performance is often cited as a high point, with reviewers noting she "capably portrays" the lead, though some found her character's choices frustratingly typical for a horror protagonist. Many critics found the plot straightforward and the
Reviewers generally view the film as a standard, "bingeable" TV mystery that leans heavily into genre tropes. Reviewers generally view the film as a standard,
While some called it "boring and stupid", others enjoyed it as a "classic" Lifetime thriller that is "well worth watching" for fans of over-the-top high school drama.
The 2016 Lifetime thriller The Cheerleader Murders follows Ellie Davis (Samantha Boscarino), a cheerleader whose family was torn apart by a tragic murder-suicide years prior. When her friends start disappearing, Ellie suspects a "cheerleader curse" and launches her own investigation.