But I'm a Cheerleader

Megan seems to have the perfect life: she's a cheerleader, she has a boyfriend, she's popular… except for the fact that she doesn't seem to like her boyfriend very much. Her parents, coming to the conclusion that she must be a lesbian, send her off to conversion camp with a handful of other queer teens to, supposedly, learn how to be straight. It could be the premise of a heavy drama, but But I'm A Cheerleader stays light-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny — memorably featuring none other than RuPaul as the camp's “ex-gay” counselor. If you liked Bottoms, you'll love this: it's the kind of comedy that is best seen on the big screen and with a crowd.

Cerys Bardsley

Arguably one of the most iconic conversion camp comedies of all time, But I’m A Cheerleader is a delightfully light-hearted take on a classic coming-out story. Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is shocked when her friends and parents decide she’s a lesbian – based on flimsy evidence like her eating tofu, and fantasising about her fellow cheerleaders – and pack her off to True Directions conversion camp. Suddenly, Megan’s life consists of learning to vacuum, psychoanalysing her homosexual tendencies, and developing a crush on fellow inmate and unashamed lesbian Graham (Clea DuVall), which may not have been the outcome her parents anticipated. While shining a light on the inhumane practice of conversion therapy, But I’m A Cheerleader manages to be funny, entertaining, and something of a queer classic.

Olivia Lancastle