There was potential, but missing lots of needed context

Sometimes documentaries, being so afraid to use narration, forgo it— and as a result end up with a rudderless, confusing montage of scenes. Even though there was barely any focus to this film, it could’ve been made more substantial by explaining the basic structures relating to the cheer group and to the motivations and relationships tying the characters together.

Was the cheer squad part of a school? What was the cheer program’s genera goal? Who did the coach report to? Did any of the parents care about the cheer program at all? They didn’t seem aware their kids were even involved. What prompted the coach to go to Texas? Who paid for that? Was it part of a program?

The only thread tying any of this together is the cheer squad, but so many fundamentals are unexplained that it’s hard to care at all about the outcomes of their competitions, or the girl’s brief moments of frustration or happiness.

As a drifting collection of snapshots about what life is like as a teenager in Finland, the documentary does a better job. Again, no strong and sustained characters are built up within the narrative, but the people they follow are generally likable, relatable, and interesting— in a fly on the wall kind of way.

The cinematography was quite well done, and it went a good ways toward making the movie more interesting and pleasing to watch. I don’t regret watching it, but I have so many unanswered questions...