Everybody should go watch Bottoms and this is why:
If you thought Barbie was the most funny and satirical film about feminism and the horrors of patriarchy, with music by Charli XCX, a large choreographed combat sequence between opposing groups, tailored exclusively for lesbians, made in 2023, guess again.
Bottoms is a raunchy queer comedy about two lesbian high schoolers who form a fight club within their high school in order to gain the attention and affection of two cheerleaders. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri are beyond amazing, the comedy is fantastic, and the cinematography is stunning. Needless to say, I enjoyed it.
The satire is scathing, the humor is absurd, and the character work is unrelenting. As a fan of Shiva Baby, I am overjoyed to report that Emma Seligman has outdone herself with her sophomore film. It plays like a demented reboot of “Not Another Teen Movie”, but in a good way. It modernizes teen romcoms of the late 90s, while also being more daring than any recent comedy I’ve seen.
Despite all its unseriousness, this film discusses prioritizing character and female friendships above appearances and social status. The film is a perfect example of a queer comedy, written by gays, for gays that isn’t a traumatizing, tragic period drama.
I would argue that it is the most intriguing queer representation in years. The characters are both lesbians but aren’t romantically involved with each other. Their chaotic plot to win over the popular girls is the precise messiness queer people have never been permitted on screen before. There are overt references to “But I’m a Cheerleader” in the campy attire and humorously overblown depictions of gender standards. “Bottoms” is silly and goofy, and it’s about sex without being seductive, but that’s precisely what makes it a creative lesbian portrayal.