The movie opens with a dream sequence. Alison Wentworth, our heroine, runs through a dark locker room, looking for her locker. She finally makes it out to the stadium, falls into some mud and messes up her cheers, causing her parents to shrug her off in disgust as the announcer to berates her. Suddenly, she wakes up in a car, on her way to Camp Hurrah with her cheermates. There’s Bonnie, the ditz; Pam, the snob; Theresa, the serious one; Cory, the mascot; Timmy, the fat videophile; and Brent, Alison's boyfriend. It's obvious there's tension among them and there's allusion that things aren't going to go so well.

When they arrive, they meet the camp leader, Miss Tipton. She's not too fond of the group (especially when Timmy's fat, pasty ass farts in her face) and shrugs them off. They meet a popular blonde girl from another team of whom the other girls are jealous, thinking that she'll win The Queen Conest (the contest for who will be picked to compete in the state championship). Brent struggles to flirt with her during the camp barbeque, but she blows him off. Later, the girls are sunbathing on the rocks next to the lake when the blonde takes off her top. One of the other girls follows suit to try and outshine (or outboob) her. Meanwhile, Timmy, clad in mu-mu, makeup, and mop, films the topless, sunbathing action. The girls catch on and push him into the lake.

After all the fun, things go sour. The blonde is found dead by Alison, her wrists slit. The death is ruled as a suicide by Ms. Tipton and the body is taken away by the gardener and the chef, who admire the cadaver's cheerleading pendant.

The following day, Alison spies the chef chopping at a large hunk of meat when she goes to the kitchen for a drink. She notices the blonde's necklace around his neck. In the freezer, she finds the body and calls the police.

Miss Tipton explains to the sheriff that she was going to tell them about the girl's death when camp was over, since she didn't want the camp to be closed down. The sheriff accepts this explanation and Miss Tipton's invitation to play hide the sausage. In one of the best scenes in the movie, Tipton and the sheriff engage in football-themed foreplay, with Tipton dressed as a cheerleader and the sheriff pretending he's in the midst of a football game. It has to be seen to be believed, honestly. And, of course, Timmy sneaks to Tipton's cabin, where he films them having at.

Shortly after, Tipton addresses the campers and Timmy replays the video behind her. The campers laugh hysterically as Tipton runs off, humiliated.

However, despite the comedic happenings, things regress. Alison, with her constant nightmares (one of which is of Brent fucking Pam while to the cheering of the mascots, Tipton, the sheriff, the groundskeeper, and the chef) and insecurities, feels the only person she can truly confide in is Cory. Brent, meanwhile, feels neglected and craves some fleshy action. He tries to convince Pam to do the dew with him, but she refuses and runs off into the woods. She gets lost and meets death with an axe through her head.

The competition is coming up and the girls wonder what’s happened to Pam. Bonnie confesses that she wishes Pam would work more on her cheerleading and less on trying to get "honey on her muffin". Theresa is amused by this quip, but still worries for her missing comrade.

The competition begins, starting with mascots. Tipton has a thing against Cory, even though the crowd likes her, and crowns someone else the winner. Cory is notably upset. Following the mascots, the teams have to perform their routine. Pam still isn't there, since she's kind of dead, so they improvise. They substitute Pam with Timmy, who falls into the groundskeeper, who proceeds to wish death upon him.

Last is the Queen Contest, in which Alison and Bonnie compete. Bonnie is crowned the winner and the after-party begins.

Theresa, still worried about Pam, slips off to look for her. She finds Pam's sliced body propped against a tree. Suddenly, a car appears. Theresa runs, but the car pins her to a tree and crushes her.

Now that two team members are missing, the remaining members decide it's time to go looking for them. Tipton is too drunk to really care, but accompanies them anyway. When she finally begins her search, Tipton gets axed. Barely alive, she stumbles toward Alison and dies in front of her. Alison screams and runs away only to find Brent, Timmy, Cory, and Bonnie, who have located Pam and Theresa, no less dead than they were before. They run back to the party to warn everyone of the murders and the party-goers stampede out of the party hall, driving away.

Now the team is alone, save for the groundskeeper who leaves to hunt the killer. They call the sheriff again who decides to make his triumphant return.

The team separates to widen their search area. Brent runs into the groundskeeper, who takes a shot at him. He's saved by Cory, who shoots back at the groundskeeper with a pistol. They all meet up again, but they feel the killer is close. They run back to the main building, except for Timmy, who wants to film. While he’s unzipping his pants to piss, the killer slices his belly open with an axe, and his organs and fat fall out, all of which is caught on tape. Brent finds it when he goes back for Timmy, but he doesn't find the body. He plays the video for the horrified girls then sets up a bear trap for defense. When the door opens the trap snaps, but it turns out to be the sheriff. Alison and Bonnie are horrified and panicky, but Brent tells Bonnie to go call the police and sends Cory with her. Brent decides that it's time to get intimate with Alison, who promptly rejects him. Cory reappears, explaining that she can't find Bonnie, so Brent runs out of the cabin to find Bonnie.

When they're alone, Cory tells Alison that she knows Brent is the killer. She arms Alison with a pistol and they go to confront him. They find Brent standing in a phone booth, over a very dead Bonnie with the phone cord wrapped around her neck. Alison is now convinced Brent is the killer, takes it upon herself to shoot him, and faints.

When the authorities arrive at camp, Alison is strapped to a stretcher and hauled off. Cory talks with a cop who believes Alison is the killer. The cop explains she'll be put in a mental institution. Cory says that it's too bad, since Alison had "everything going for her". In the ambulance, a paramedic asks Alison why she did it. Alison responds that she didn't, but he doesn't believe her (surprise, surprise). Alison then realizes the truth: Cory was the killer all along. As Alison screams her name, Cory cheers for herself in a cheerleader costume.

Cheerleader Camp is a great, unsung 80's slasher. I thought it would be typical and cliché when I first saw it, but it's really got a feel of its own. It kept me guessing and keeps it campy and bloody without being too overdone. I definitely recommend it.