A cinematic masterpiece about a fight club that deals with important themes such as masculinity and aggression. Sound familiar? I’m talking about “Bottoms,” this summer’s and potentially this year’s best movie. If “Barbie” vs. “Oppenheimer” is a game of rock, paper, scissors, then “Bottoms” is the unlisted fourth option that wins every time. It’s quite an achievement to make a buddy comedy reminiscent of classic 2000s teen films like “Superbad” and “Not Another Teen Movie” that has both casual moviegoers and film critics fawning, yet Emma Seligman does exactly that with “Bottoms.”
As for the plot? Well, to summarize it in three words: lesbian fight club. The movie asks the question: What would you do for love? The main characters, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), answer by starting a so-called “self defense club” to get with the girls of their dreams and lose their virginity before senior year comes to a close. Over the course of the movie, the club grows into something more than just girls beating each other up, although there’s a lot of that.
Despite its rather niche plot, “Bottoms” is for everyone, not just the girls, the gays, and the unfortunately horny. Fans of “The Bear” and “Shiva Baby” will enjoy the signature awkward humor of Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott, while athletes will love the accurate representation of football alongside Marshawn Lynch’s role as the unwitting staff advisor. “Bottoms”’ strengths truly start with the incredible cast because who but Nicholas Galitzine could deliver the line: “Shut up nerd I fucked your mom,” with a straight face. Juni Singh, leader of St. Mary’s Cinema Club and avid Letterboxd user, highlights that “there’s a lot of opportunities for improvisation in the script,” which she thinks blends well with the friendly cast dynamic.
The cast’s natural humor lends itself to the relatability of the film, but the script and direction breathe creative life into the classroom daydreams of the average high schooler. “Bottoms” takes our intrusive thoughts, whether violent or sexual, and spends an hour and a half letting them run wild. Singh describes, “It brings a lot of those things out that people feel but don’t really express: that weirdness and that aggression that is less associated with women, especially queer women.” For example, she remarks, “I would love to fight a footballer!” And in “Bottoms,” PJ and Josie get to. It’s not exactly a revenge movie but in a way it does feel like it’s dunking on patriarchy and anyone who has ever perpetuated it.
The film expertly represents a generation rife with both internal and external struggle. Everything from the Charli XCX soundtrack to the chalkboard in the background that reads “Why all presidents have been men and why we should keep it that way!” is intentional. Even the short run time can be connected to the shrinking attention spans of an age group addicted to screens. “‘Bottoms’ is defining,” states Singh. She elaborates that “by going so over the top they’re not trying too hard to break [stereotypes]” and instead “are creating something really interesting and new.”
For a movie about tryhards, “Bottoms” does a miraculous job of not trying too hard. It never takes itself too seriously, avoiding what Singh describes as “preachy feminism.” It allows women, especially queer women, to just exist, and to be the flawed and weird characters that we are. Oftentimes it feels as though every movie about or by women must have some sort of message about feminism, which while important, can be an exhausting reminder of the trials women face in everyday life. “Bottoms” definitely comments on our intrinsically patriarchal society yet it’s also mindless fun. Singh explains, “It’s about female friendship, lesbians, and being in high school but it’s also about that group of people getting a stupid high school comedy.”
Singh describes the message of the film as “gay women can be crazy weirdos.” And if you don’t think too hard about that, you won’t be disappointed. “Bottoms” serves up laughs for all 92 minutes of run time. But if you decide to take a closer look, you’ll find a surprisingly thoughtful movie with an aching sense of humanity. By providing a window into the innermost thoughts and desires of high schoolers, “Bottoms” becomes an outlet for every queer person and woman who never got to act on those urges in the same way their cis, straight, and male counterparts did. An immediate must-watch, “Bottoms” is an immensely recommendable film that is well on its way to cult status.
