Not quite a comedy, not quite a horror, writer/directors Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson have instead unleashed something much more original – and a helluva lot more fun – in their newest release, All Cheerleaders Die.

Things start predictably enough as Maddy (Caitlin Stasey), a moody loner high schooler, plots to take down the high school jocks and cheerleaders that wronged her. But when the plan goes bad, it’s up to her goth wicca girlfriend Leena (Sianoa Smit-McPhee) to save the day…yet her help comes at a dark and twisted cost.

All Cheerleaders Die is nothing if not surprising. Fun without being tacky, scary without being excessive, McKee and Sivertson keep their audience entertained, even when things are at their goriest. It’s no wonder that the movie has such wide appeal, bringing in more women than any other Midnight Madness film at TIFF13 this year. And while the mid riffs and butt shots are a tad gratuitous, it’s forgiven with a strong, likeable, almost entirely female cast.

Equal parts Mean Girls, The Craft, and The Walking Dead, All Cheerleaders Die has every reason to feel tired or played out. But instead, the movie is consistently engaging. And while its influences might be done to death, the film proves to be more like like its own hot zombie cheerleading squad: very much alive and kicking.

Nimy Leshinski