In the modern high school, at least in the surreal, dramatic and slightly bloody one conjured by director Emma Seligman, it is not being gay but being “gay, untalented and ugly” which lands you at the bottom of the social strata. This is the situation PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) find themselves in until a chance encounter with Jeff, the school’s star quarterback, sees PJ and Josie launch an all-women fight. What follows is the classic ‘high school losers try to become cool’ narrative with a queer twist, as PJ and Josie attempt to hide the fight club’s real aim- enabling them to hook up with their cheerleader crushes- under the guise of female solidarity.
Following on from Seligman’s debut “Shiva Baby”, Bottoms ups the weirdness, with co-writers Seligman and Sennott leaning into the absurdity of the premise. Through background gags, such as one student seemingly inexplicably being kept in a cage, and lessons on feminism being taught by a teacher (Marshawn Lynch) flicking through a porn magazine, Bottoms leans into the high school drama, making it one of the funniest comedies of the year. This isn’t entirely owing to the script, which- though excellent- is reliant on the incredible talent of its cast. Some of the film’s best scenes were entirely improv, including a completely unhinged monologue from Edebiri which sees Sennott herself trying to hold her laughter.
Through background gags, such as one student seemingly inexplicably being kept in a cage, and lessons on feminism being taught by a teacher (Marshawn Lynch) flicking through a porn magazine, Bottoms leans into the high school drama, making it one of the funniest comedies of the year.
The remaining characters too are brilliantly cast, resulting in a setting filled with eccentric oddballs such as Nicholas Galitzine’s Jeff, who seems to be having fun with extreme reactions to everything from getting tapped by a car to pineapple juice; Havana Rose Liu’s Isabelle, a cheerleader with a surprise bloodthirsty streak; and Ruby Cruz’s Hazel, whose unwavering belief in everything PJ and Josie say causes chaos. As their fight club swiftly gets out of hand, PJ and Josie find themselves pretending to go to Juvie, creating explosions and massacring a football team; all normal high school experiences.
Aside from being utterly hilarious, and showcasing the work of talented comedic actors, Bottoms is an important film, even if its trying its hardest not to come off as remotely serious. I practically absorbed surreal teen comedies growing up, particularly in their 90s form in films like 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless. Bottoms is many ways their queer successor; I would have loved to have teen films that were openly and unashamedly gay growing up. PJ and Josie’s “loser lesbians” may not exactly be aspirational- they’re definitely on the darker side of ‘morally grey’- but their queerness is never questioned or compromised in any way, which unfortunately is still a rarity in comedy films.
Aside from being utterly hilarious, and showcasing the work of talented comedic actors, Bottoms is an important film, even if its trying its hardest not to come off as remotely serious.
Bottoms is weird, dark and bloody in a way high school films often aren’t allowed to be, it hints at the potential renaissance of dark high school comedies. If nothing else, hopefully it at least provides a basis for the return of the star of the cinema; the blooper reel.
