The Correct Order In Which To Watch The Bring It On Movies

"Bring It On" has proven itself to be quite the warhorse of a cheerleading epic. The big-screen comedy starred Kirsten Dunst as Torrance Shipman, whose pursuit of a sixth consecutive national title for her cheer squad runs afoul of plagiarism accusations by the East Compton Clovers, led by formidable cheer captain Isis (Gabrielle Union). This forces Torrance to come up with a fresh routine before the team goes to nationals, and she pulls out all the stops to get there — even if that means having to listen to Missy Pantone (Eliza Dushku), a recent addition to the squad and former gymnast. 

The critical acclaim for "Bring It On" grew over time, and it went on to be enshrined as one of the best teen comedies of the early aughts. It was ultimately named the 30th best high school movie of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 2008, and has been praised for tackling themes such as race, privilege, and cultural appropriation (via Variety). It was memorably given a lengthy tribute in Ariana Grande's music video for her 2018 smash hit "thank u next."

But even the most devoted fan of the 2000 teen flick might not be aware that it spawned five direct-to-DVD sequels. The franchise is so expansive that a seventh movie in the series — a horror-comedy film entitled "Bring It On: Cheer or Die," per Dread Central, is set to air on SyFy in 2022. If you're a newcomer to the "Bring It On" universe — or just want to refresh yourself before "Cheer or Die" hits the airwaves — here's the order you should watch all six of the movies in.

Here's the good news: none of the "Bring it On" sequels share characters, continuity, or locations with its first film — just a few referential nods, like the opening dream sequences and cast dances in the credits. Even the stage show "Bring it On: The Musical," which spun off of the first film in 2011, has different main characters who attend a different high school. So once you watch the first film in the series, you can watch pretty much any of the other movies in any order without getting lost along the way.

After enjoying "Bring it On", we recommend trying the third film on for size: 2006's "Bring It On: All or Nothing." While "All or Nothing" suffers a bit in the writing department — and features an oft-mocked krumping battle — the picture boasts some serious star power, with Hayden Panettiere and Solange Knowles in the movie's central roles and an extended cameo from entertainment icon Rihanna, who plays herself. The movie also attempts to explore themes of race and class, albeit much more clumsily than the first installment. 

Next up should be 2007's "Bring It On: In It to Win It," the fourth "Bring it On" movie, which stars Ashley Benson and is loosely inspired by "West Side Story," following two lovers from rival cheer teams — the Jets and the Sharks. The movie sports a fun soundtrack, some inventive cheerleading routines, and a very mid-2000s musical cameo from Ashley Tisdale.

In fourth place is 2004's "Bring It On Again," the second film in the series. The picture shifts the story's action to a college campus, which adds a different flavor to the series' familiar recipe, and its outsiders-versus-snobs plot is reminiscent of a more clean-cut "Revenge of the Nerds."

Rounding out the bottom of the pile are the later films, 2009's "Bring it On: Fight to the Finish" and 2017's "Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack." "Fight to the Finish" has singer Christina Milian in the lead and a better soundtrack, while "#Cheersmack" sports a very funny supporting performance by Vivica A. Fox. But both lack wit, inventive choreography, and characters worth caring about, making them equally unworthy of a place in the cheerocracy.