Bottoms Reviews

After her acclaimed debut, “Shiva Baby,” director Emma Seligman reteams with Rachel Sennott for the deliriously funny “Bottoms.” Co-written by Seligman and Sennott, this unhinged comedy follows best friends and outcasts PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). By chance, they start an amateur fight club to fend off bullies and win over their crushes – statuesque Brittany (Kaia Gerber) for PJ and petite Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) for Josie.

Isabel dates cocky quarterback Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine) while his overprotective wingman Tim (Miles Fowler) becomes an unexpected adversary. With the help of fellow weirdo Hazel (Ruby Cruz) and loser teacher Mr. G (Marshawn Lynch), the girls train to stand up to oppressors with predictably chaotic results.

Cinematographer Maria Rusche lenses their dreary blue-hued school as an environment crushing individuality. Surreal gags like a caged wrestler student punctuate the absurdity. Seligman and Sennott unleash one ludicrous scenario after another – nonsense delivered with deadpan conviction. Needle drops like Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” underscore the playful tone.

Amidst the silliness, one poignant scene has the girls share traumatizing stories of assault and police inaction. This sobering moment acknowledges real violence before returning to the delightful chaos. “Bottoms” raucously skewers and subverts the high school movie genre through uproarious misadventures.

PJ and Josie take their lumps but learn valuable lessons while upending expectations. Seligman and Sennott revel in the disorder, down to the closing blooper reel. “Bottoms” lets weird girls reign by kicking teen movie tropes to the curb with irreverent glee.

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