This review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.Emma Seligman’s feature debut, 2020’s Shiva Baby, was a claustrophobic, uneasy comedy that put Rachel Sennott’s Danielle in an uncomfortable situation at a shiva, where, over an excruciating 78 minutes, we felt every bit of tension and awkwardness possible. Shiva Baby felt more like Uncut Gems than a typical comedy, as we watched Danielle’s situation go from terrible to unbearable. Seligman’s ability to build that tension for the entire film, while always making Shiva Baby both funny and cringe-inducing, was a testament to their abilities as a filmmaker, making their second feature a highly-anticipated event.

Yet Bottoms couldn’t be more unlike what Seligman did with Shiva Baby, as this second feature feels more in line with Not Another Teen Movie than a film by the Safdie brothers. But even though this is a complete 180 from what we might already expect a Seligman film to look like, Bottoms is one of the most absurd and hysterical teen comedies in years, following in the footsteps of dark teen comedy classics like Heathers, Mean Girls, and Welcome to the Dollhouse. In just two features, Seligman has proven that she can do both extremely grounded, tense humor, as well as exaggerated, over-the-top comedy, and is equally gifted at both.

‘Bottoms’ Is an Excellent Parody of High School Movies
Image via Orion Pictures

2023 superstar Ayo Edebiri and Sennott (who also co-wrote Bottoms with Seligman) star as Josie and PJ, two teenage lesbians who are desperate to lose their virginity to the school’s cheerleaders. As they like to say, kids at their school don’t hate them for being gay, they hate them for being gay, untalented, and ugly. After an incident with the high school’s idiot star player, Jeff (Red, White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine), the pair decide to start a fight club at their school to get closer to the hot girls. Josie has her sights set on Isabel (Havana Rose Liu), who is also Jeff’s girlfriend, while PJ is interested in Brittany (Kaia Gerber), Isabel’s best friend, whose entire identity is that she does whatever Isabel does. Under the barely watchful eye of their teacher, Mr. G (Marshawn Lynch), PJ and Josie get closer and closer to losing their virginity to their crushes, even though they’re in danger of their plan coming to light.

It doesn’t take long to realize that Bottoms is an absurdist take on the typical high school comedy. On the first day of school, we hear an intercom announcement with the principal saying reading isn’t allowed this year, while Mr. G gives a test on Women Murdered in History, and the football team keeps one of their most extreme players in a cage. And however many bombs you’re expecting this movie to have, you’re probably wrong. But considering Bottoms is a film about a high school-sanctioned fight club, Seligman’s story needs to have this sort of ridiculous view, and those strange eccentricities make it so much more fun and wild than if it had played this concept straight.

Image via Orion Releasing

Bottoms is also an excellent vehicle for two of the best up-and-coming comedians today in Edebiri and Sennott. It often has the comedic tone of their previous show together, Ayo and Rachel Are Single, and the two play beautifully off each other. Their rapport is great regardless of whatever adventure Bottoms throws them into. Sennott gets to play PJ as an in-charge bullshitter who often talks before thinking, hoping everything will come together in the end. She gets to flex her acting chops here than we’re used to (again, especially compared to something like Shiva Baby, or even Bodies, Bodies Bodies), and watching her get riled up always leads to big laughs.

Meanwhile, in a year where Edebiri has been in everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to The Bear, Bottoms stands among her best work so far. Josie is shy, uncertain about herself, yet hopeful about the possibilities that the fight club could open for her. As we watch Josie come into her own, Edebiri finds new ways to make this character hilarious, from cautious and uncomfortable in her own skin to determined and dangerous. This has been an incredible year for Edebiri, but Bottoms might be the best presentation of her immense comedic talents so far.

‘Bottoms’ High School Is Packed With Funny Weirdos
Image via MGM

Beyond the leads, Bottoms has a ridiculously fun supporting cast that helps make this ludicrous world work. Liu and Gerber are both wonderful at managing to feel like a parody of high school movie archetypes, while never falling into caricature. Even though the world that Liu lives in is heightened, her story and her journey away from her awful boyfriend never feel like it’s a joke. Galitzine is also quite funny as the moronic Jeff, who can barely function as a human being, and yet is adored by the high school at large. Bottoms pokes fun at many schools’ obsession with football, and Galitzine makes the misguided adoration for his character even more amusing. But maybe the MVP (no pun intended) of Bottoms’ supporting cast is Lynch, who makes his every appearance stand out. While he doesn’t have much to do in Bottoms, other than to show up and steal every scene he’s in, he does so beautifully.

But amongst the inherent weirdness of Bottoms, Seligman and Sennott’s screenplay manages to make this an effective film about friendship and fighting the power. While the story is largely a parody, PJ and Josie’s bond remains grounded, even when the punches and blood start flying. If there’s one thing that Shiva Baby and Bottoms have in common, it’s Seligman’s dedication to making sure that, amongst all the insanity that this brand of comedy might have, there remains a potent story of constructive growth and its lead characters discovering who they truly are.

Bottoms ensures the summer movie season ends with one of the best comedies of the year. It is a delightfully bizarre film that is always unexpected while being perfectly balanced by the two lead performances of Edebiri and Sennott. With the one-two punch of Shiva Baby and Bottoms, Seligman has already proved her brilliance both in restraint and bonkers, over-the-top comedy—and we need more comedies from her ASAP.

Rating: B+

The Big Picture

Seligman’s second feature, Bottoms is a departure from the tense humor of Shiva Baby, but it proves her ability to excel in exaggerated, over-the-top comedy as well. Bottoms is an absurd take on the high school comedy genre, with eccentric elements that make it more fun and wild than a straightforward approach. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott deliver outstanding comedic performances, showcasing their talent and chemistry as two of the best up-and-coming comedians today.

Bottoms comes to theaters in limited release on August 25 and opens wider on September 1.