Review | Emma Seligman is on top of the world with “Bottoms”
“Bottoms,” directed by Emma Seligman, is an instant summer classic thanks to its ensemble of young stars, Gen-Z humor and absurdist tone. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer
Despite its title, Emma Seligman’s latest directorial endeavor is tops.
This has been a historic summer for the film industry (and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts kids). With “Barbenheimer,” both the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild going on strike and the record-breaking flop of “The Flash,” it really has been major event after major event. So, it stands to reason that the middle of all this Hollywood pandamonium was the perfect time for a future classic to come out. Enter “Bottoms.”
The already critically acclaimed film follows PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), two self-proclaimed “untalented gays” who seem to be at the very bottom of their school’s social ladder. They scheme to make a ‘self-defense club’ in order to gain the time and attention of their crushes, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber).
Some of the obstacles standing in PJ and Josie’s way include their own loser-hood and Isabel’s empty-headed boyfriend Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine). Yet another obstacle is a (not-so) teeny tiny lie that threatens to upend the entire plan. There is romance, danger and irresponsible adults galore in this must-see summer flick.
Sennott and Edebiri lead a rockstar ensemble cast in this fruity (in more ways than one) high school comedy. While watching “Bottoms,” it’s impossible to deny the wonderful chemistry between the two leading ladies. Sennott and Edebiri have been friends for a long time and collaborated on several occasions now, but this is their breakout piece of mainstream media. Their previous projects were (very entertaining) indie short films. Their separate talents combined make them into an almost Avengers-level threat, to borrow a phrase from another universe.
Furthermore, as a writing duo, Seligman and Sennott capture Gen Z in a way that manages to be both honest and hilarious. In this day and age, it seems to be harder and harder to find truly unique movies. “Bottoms” is singular and unapologetically itself, much in the same way that PJ and Josie are. It even ends with a blooper reel, in a very welcome callback to the movies of a bygone era — aka the 2000s. With maybe the best needle-drop of the year, Seligman also provided an expertly crafted soundtrack for the film as well, heavily reliant on Charli XCX.
This has been the summer of women in many ways. With Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” exceeding $1 billion at the box office, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s renowned world tours and now “Bottoms,” it seems girls really do run the world. “Bottoms” offers a very refreshing take on women-led stories with the tagline being “a movie about empowering women (the hot ones).” It’s a film about unconventional feminism, accidental sisterhood and how everyone can find love — even the losers.
Seligman and her collaborators should be proud of their impressive opening weekend, garnering $516,000 in just 10 theaters. With several clips going viral on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok already, “Bottoms” seems to have carved a nice little niche for itself within the cultural zeitgeist, and so has its cast. Stars Sennott and Edebiri have been lauded for their roles in A24’s “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and Hulu’s “The Bear,” respectively. In addition, Galitzine’s Amazon Prime rom-com, “Red, White & Royal Blue,” has had tremendous success as well. It is very safe to say that we are looking at some future A-listers.
One could argue that the violence in “Bottoms” is over the top or that there is an exorbitant lack of believability within the story. These are fair criticisms and ones I even agree with, at least to a certain extent. However, these critiques don’t detract from the movie in a way that ruins the viewing experience. The absurdist quality is what makes the film so special, and it mostly manages to find the balance between the campy ridiculousness and the ‘sane.’
Tonally, the film stays consistent and somehow never feels like it’s trying to do too much at once, despite the many different directions it takes. For all the bloodshed and dark humor, there is a surprising amount of heart under the surface here.
More than anything else, this movie is just a fun time. It’s a well-crafted movie from a technical standpoint, and a (mostly) relatable story from a human standpoint. Regardless of your sexuality or race, all audience members will be able to see bits of themselves here. I saw it with my best friend, and I recommend everyone even slightly interested in seeing it do the same.
“Bottoms” fills the void left by teen comedies à la “Mean Girls” in the same way Olivia Wilde’s 2019 hit “Booksmart” did. It takes cues from the iconic movies that came before it, but is still totally distinct in its own right. It is somewhat ironic that, despite the current turmoil, the film industry is experiencing a kind of renaissance of creativity. Movies are starting to be different again, and this year alone should give hope to everyone worried about the state of Hollywood. The fight will be — and has been — long and hard, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
P.S. Please leave your pineapple juice at home.
“Bottoms” premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival on March 11. The film was made available in limited theaters on Aug. 25 and given a wide release on Sept. 1.
