Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Bottoms is a comedy about two high school lesbians who start a female fight club to get laid.
PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are unpopular students at Rockbridge Falls High School who have crushes on football cheerleaders, Brittany and Isabel. While leaving a fair before the start of the new school year, they see Isabelle having an argument with her boyfriend, Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead quarterback for the football team. Isabelle runs away from Jeff, and they invite her into Josie’s car to escape. As Jeff stands in front of the car and screams, Josie inches it forward hoping he’ll get out of the way. However, Jeff falls and pretends to be injured. In the commotion that follows, Isabele runs off.
When school starts, Jeff is on crutches, and it’s rumored that Josie and PJ spent the summer in juvie. The principle calls them into his office to question them about Jeff’s “injury.” To escape punishment, PJ says that the accident happened because they were practicing for a feminist self-defense club that they want to start. The principle buys it, and they get off.
Although Josie isn’t keen on the fight club, PJ won’t let it go. Their friend Hazel (Ruby Cruz) also likes the idea and wants to help them get it started. Hazel suggests using get Mr. G (Marshawn Lynch), the history teacher, as the advisor because he won’t care what they do. And with that, the girls form a female fight club and hilarity ensues.
Some Thoughts:
Bottoms is a teenage comedy that skewers high school drama and popularity in the most outrageous way possible. It pulls out all the stops by exaggerating everything about high school, the rules, the clicks, the football team, and those who aren’t popular. Nothing is off limits. And if you went to public school, you’ll get it.
Although the entire cast is fantastic, Sennott and Edebiri steal the show. Their characters are opposite sides of the same coin, with PJ getting Jodie to do things outside of her comfort zone. While both would like to be popular, the lengths in which they would go to attain it are very different. Anybody who was left of center in high school can identify with them regardless of sexuality or gender.
The humor and message are well thought out, but the film is a bit messy. The story is all over the place and there is one glaring continuity issue involving Mr. G’s dreadlocks that may have been intentional. The movie is so sloppy that it’s actually hard to tell. However, because of the madcap nature of the film, the sloppiness works in its favor.
The Final Verdict:
Bottoms is an outrageous satire on teenage comedies. The film’s over the top and bloody exploration of female empowerment in a male dominated society is original and thoughtful.