‘Bottoms’ Movie Review: A Queer Fever Dream Destined for Cult Status
Photo from ORION Pictures
From Jeff Nelson
Writer/director Emma Seligman and actor Rachel Sennott made a dream pairing in 2020’s Shiva Baby, which firmly stood its ground as one of the best films of the year. Bottoms sees them reunite, along with Sennott taking on a co-writer role, further demonstrating what makes them such a winning duo. Their sophomore feature film together is unapologetically queer with humor that hits fairly consistently.
Josie (Ayo Edebiri) and PJ (Sennott) are queer teenager at the bottom of the high school social hierarchy nearing the next step in their lives, but they have radically different perspectives on their respective sexual journeys. Josie is ready to throw in the towel, while PJ is willing to do whatever it takes to hookup with her crush, Brittany (Kaia Gerber), and Josie with hers, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu). Their schenanigans commit them to creating a women’s fight club as a front to have sex before they graduate.
Bottoms has a setup familiar to the typical contemporary sex comedy, as Josie and PJ desperately try and fail to attract the attention and favor of “popular kids” that are deemed out of their league. However, Seligman and Sennott quickly steer this sexual mission into a story of friendship, solidarity, and freedom that pushes the narrative into a space that’s substantially more compelling. The objective of having sex remains at the forefront of the protagonists’ minds, but it’s hardly the story’s entire identity.
There’s plenty of crass humor to go around in Bottoms, but it takes on a perspective that’s both queer and female, providing a stark contrast from the predominantly straight and male lived experiences that most of these comedies embrace. Seligman and Sennott’s story unfolds in a world that looks and feels like a dreamlike, over-the-top version of high school, but brings a camp factor to it, for better or worse. It’s a breezy 92-minute film that introduces itself at an energy level of 10 and never comes down from there, keeping a frenetic pace that benefits the comedy but hinders the connection between its characters.
From the soundtrack to the casting choices, Bottoms takes a millennial approach to high school that hits an aesthetic sweet spot. Edebiri is stellar, acting as the film’s beating heart, while still landing excellent comedic timing. Meanwhile, Sennott proves yet again why she’s a sensation with her hysterical delivery. Together, their chemistry radiates off the screen, making us not only believe their friendship but root for it.
Bottoms is a delightful queer fever dream with irresistible charm and consistent laughs. It’s an entertaining gay friendship romp wrapped in the vehicle of a gay sex comedy, albeit light on emotional depth. Seligman’s follow-up doesn’t reach the levels of the brilliant Shiva Baby, but its unserious approach to the LGBTQ high school experience will undoubtedly gain a loyal cult following.
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottoms hits theaters on Friday, August 25th, 2023.
