SPOILER ALERT! This review contains some spoilers.
What would two queer best friends do to finally lose their lesbian virginity? Start a fight club, of course. What could go wrong?
“Bottoms”, the 2023 film starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, follows two lesbian best friends as they try to finally sleep with the girls of their dreams. After years of fumbling and having no real flirting ability, PJ (Rachel Sennott) is determined to do whatever it takes to finally get with her crush Brittany (Kaia Jordan Gerber). Josie (Ayo Edebiri), on the other hand, is relatively content with waiting it out and “playing the long game” with her crush Isabel (Havana Rose Liu).
However, the two stumble into a plan of starting a self-defense/fight club after a run-in with the school’s football superstars Tim (Miles Fowler) and Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine). To make matters more complicated, Jeff also happens to be Isabel’s douchebag boyfriend. With help from fellow outcast classmate Hazel (Ruby Cruz) and less-than-adequate advisor Mr. G (Marshawn Lynch), PJ and Josie create a club to ‘help protect the girls at Rockbridge Falls High School,’ and also maybe try to get what they want, too.
The film, written by Sennott and Emma Seligman – who also directs – was the most outrageous, ridiculous, hilarious, gay 88 minutes of my life. There is bloody violence, killer one-liners, absurd stereotypes and surprisingly sad moments. The satirical irony of the film is neither too overdone nor hard to miss. Sennott and Seligman perfectly created a world filled with over-dramatic high school drama, genuine comedy, and a feeling of comradery.
Ayo Edebiri, fresh off the success of her hit streaming series “The Bear” and hit film “Theater Camp”, has once again given an incredibly hilarious performance, taking a ridiculous screenplay and giving it an authenticity she has shown she can do time and time again. One thing I, as an actor, have admired about Edebiri is how real she feels. It sounds crazy to say but many times when you’re playing a character and reading words that aren’t necessarily yours, it can create a divide between you, the character and the audience. This film has once again shown Edebiri’s inherent ability to seamlessly blend herself and a character on a page.
The soundtrack of the film only adds to the hilarity, combining the use of songs like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, and a modge podge of instrumentals by Charlie XCX and Leo Birenberg. Each song perfectly complemented their scenes and added an essence that might’ve been lacking without it. Combined with many different cinematography techniques (done by Maria Rusche), the film is visually engaging and genuinely fun to watch.
Sennott and Seligman wove together comedy and drama beautifully, keeping the movie fun enough to enjoy while also not overplaying the jokes. One somber moment between all the girls in the fight club shows Josie giving a deep, heartfelt, monologue about her traumatic time in a juvenile detention center – which never actually happened. The delivery was so heartfelt that, for a moment, you as the audience member forget that she is entirely lying.
Or another moment when Mr. G confronts the girls about breaking his trust. His speech slowly delves into his own personal issues and turns into an anti-feminist speech, which confuses the audience as well as PJ and Josie. You can’t help but laugh.
Lastly, Havana Rose Liu’s performance is phenomenal. She leans into the stereotype of the dumb cheerleader very well, but you never hate her. Typically, cliche football movies frame the cheerleader as standoffish and all-around mean. But Liu keeps the character’s true nature prominent, even in moments when she isn’t being nice (for good reason). There weren’t any moments in the film where I genuinely felt like crying except for Liu’s delivery of the line,“You’re pathetic, Josie.” There is a pain behind her eyes, and the voice crack hits your heart harder than you think it will.
All around, this movie was an incredibly fun watch. It’s a kind of comedy that you know you will be able to watch years down the line and it will still be funny. As a queer person, the movie captured the experience of being queer in high school incredibly well and never once portrayed anything offensive. It’s engaging and silly and is definitely in my top 5 favorite comedies.