Cheer (2020)

At first, the shift feels like a betrayal, but as we get to know the fiery squad of TVCC – particularly bolshy and talented tumbler Jada Wooten – and their coach Vontae Johnson, who is the cheese to Monica’s chalk, their inclusion in the show starts to feel fresh, giving a broader overview of how the sport plays out in the Texan community. And it injects back the underdog charm with which Navarro won us over.

All in all, Whiteley’s docuseries is a gripping inside peek at the world of top-flight athletics, where calamities are always one misstep away, physical agony and emotional devastation are ever-present, and the process of forming a cohesive team is complicated by the thorny hang-ups that everyone brings to the table.

Although it registers friendships and fallings-out, it does not make them into soapy storylines. It prefers, equally refreshingly, to dig deep into the many qualities that must combine to make a single performer, and then how they must coalesce into one team.

An earnest video journal about the challenges this dangerous sport poses and how the men and women who have made that sport the center of their lives rise to meet them.

Cheer is an utterly convincing portrait of what is unquestionably a real, and absurdly dangerous, sport complete with compelling stories that actually make it much more emotional and more exciting than the past couple Last Chance U seasons. ... I've always wanted just a slightly deeper sociological push from Last Chance U and that carries over to Cheer, perhaps the differentiating factor between very good shows and great shows.

“Cheer” isn’t so much a new take on an old story as it is proof there’s drama wherever two or more gather. It’s an addicting reality show that will make you think twice the next time you see someone accomplish something amazing.