Backspot

{{Infobox film

| name = Backspot

| image = Backspot poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = D. W. Waterson

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Martin Katz
Devery Jacobs
D. W. Waterson
Alona Metzer

}}

| screenplay = Joanne Sarazen

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Casey MQ

| cinematography = James Poremba

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Rémy Huberdeau
D. W. Waterson

}}

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Page Boy Productions
Night is Y
Prospero Pictures

}}

| distributor = XYZ Films

| released = {{Film date|2023|9|8|TIFF|2024|5|31|United States}}

| runtime =

| country = {{Plainlist|

Canada
United States

}}

| language = English

| budget =

}}

Backspot is a 2023 drama film directed by D. W. Waterson in their feature-length directorial debut and stars Devery Jacobs, Kudakwashe Rutendo, and Evan Rachel Wood. Jacobs also serves as producer, along with Waterson, through their Night is Y production company.{{Cite web |last=Dowling |first=Amber |date=2023-02-15 |title=Elliot Page's Queer Cheer Drama 'Backspot' Starts Shooting in Canada (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/elliot-page-queer-cheer-drama-backspot-canada-1235523533/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.Valerie Complex, [https://deadline.com/2023/08/tiff-discovery-and-midnight-madness-program-1235453808/ "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include ‘Hell Of A Summer,’ ‘Gonzo Girl,’ ‘Widow Clicquot,’ And ‘Boy Kills World’"]. Deadline Hollywood, August 3, 2023.

==Synopsis==

The plot follows two cheerleaders named Riley and Amanda as they navigate the world of competitive cheerleading.{{Cite web|url=https://etcanada.com/news/935896/elliot-page-joins-lgbtq-cheerleading-drama-backspot-as-executive-producer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013204315/https://etcanada.com/news/935896/elliot-page-joins-lgbtq-cheerleading-drama-backspot-as-executive-producer/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 13, 2022|website=EtCanada|title= Elliot Page Joins LGBTQ Cheerleading Drama 'Backspot' As Executive Producer|first=Anita|last=Tai|date= October 13, 2022|accessdate=March 20, 2023}}

Cast

Devery Jacobs as Riley
Evan Rachel Wood as Eileen McNamara
Noa DiBerto as Rachel
Kudakwashe Rutendo as Amanda
Thomas Antony Olajide as Devon
Oluniké Adeliyi as Denise
Wendy Crewson as Suzanne
Shannyn Sossamon as Tracy
Adrianna Di Liello as Banigan
Marlee Sansom as Laila

Production

The project is produced by Page Boy Productions, Night is Y, and Prospero Pictures. It was written by Joanne Sarazen, based on a story by D. W. Waterson. Elliot Page, Matthew Jordan Smith, John Davidson, and Katisha Shaw executive produce, with Alona Metzer, Waterson, Jacobs, and Martin Katz as producers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elliot-page-executive-producer-backspot-1235240093|website=Hollywood Reporter|title= Elliot Page to Executive Produce 'Backspot' Cheerleading Drama (Exclusive)|first=Etan|last=Vlessing|date=October 13, 2022}} In December 2023, XYZ Films had acquired the U.S., Australia and New Zealand distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|title=Cheerleading Drama Backspot, Starring Devery Jacobs, Evan Rachel Wood & Exec-Produced By Elliot Page, Gets U.S. Deal|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/devery-jacobs-evan-rachel-wood-elliot-page-movie-backspot-cheerleading-deal-1235650825/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 4, 2023|access-date=December 4, 2023}}

In cheerleading, a backspotter acts as a support to the flyer during cheerleading stunts, which is referenced in the title of the project.{{Cite web|url= https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/entertainment/2022/10/14/1_6109221.amp.html|website=ctvnews|accessdate=March 20, 2023|title= Elliot Page to executive produce LGBTQ2S+ cheerleading drama 'Backspot'|date=October 14, 2022}}

=Casting=

As well as producing the movie, Jacobs was announced as one of the leads of the film in October 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://movies.mxdwn.com/news/devery-jacobs-to-star-in-queer-cheerleading-drama-produced-by-elliot-page|website=mxdwn.com|title=Devery Jacobs to Star in Queer Cheerleading Drama Produced by Elliot Page|date=October 14, 2022 |accessdate=March 10, 2023}} Newcomer Kudakwashe Rutendo was announced as the other lead in February 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.out.com/film/elliot-page-cheerleading-movie-filming|website=Out.com|title=Elliot Page's Queer Cheerleading Film Has Started Filming|first=Mey|last=Rude|date=February 16, 2023|accessdate=March 20, 2023}} Evan Rachel Wood was revealed to have joined the production in March 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/evan-rachel-wood-elliot-page-backspot-1235559266/|website=Variety|date=March 20, 2023|title= Evan Rachel Wood Joins Cast of 'Backspot,' Executive Produced by Elliot Page (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Naman|last=Ramachandran|access-date=March 20, 2023}}

=Filming=

Principal photography began in Toronto in February 2023.{{Cite web|date=February 15, 2023|title=Elliot Page's Queer Cheer Drama 'Backspot' Starts Shooting in Canada (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Amber|last=Dowling|accessdate=March 20, 2023|website=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/elliot-page-queer-cheer-drama-backspot-canada-1235523533}} It was reported by Collider that filming had wrapped in March 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/evan-rachel-wood-cast-backspot|website=Collider|accessdate=March 20, 2023|first=Britta|last=Devore|date=March 20, 2023|title=Evan Rachel Wood to Star in Queer Cheerleading Film 'Backspot'}}

Release

Backspot was released in the Canada and the United States on May 31, 2024.{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/devery-jacobs-cheerleader-drama-training-backspot-trailer-8635123|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=April 19, 2024|first=Lester Fabian|last=Brathwaite|date=April 19, 2024|title=Devery Jacobs flips, falls, and gets yelled at by Evan Rachel Wood in the trailer for cheerleading drama Backspot}}

Critical response

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|87|7.1|52|An outstanding showcase for Devery Jacobs, Backspot is front of the line as an insightful and thrilling sports drama.}}{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id=backspot |type=movie |access-date=December 5, 2024}}