Teenagedom, more specifically high school, is perhaps that one universal time in our lives we all wouldn’t mind forgetting. That potent mixture of puberty, self-discovery and embarrassment makes for a hell of a cocktail, one that I feel is shared across all kinds of civilizations and cultures. Yet I feel as though we can’t help but gravitate towards the media that tries to capture that nonsense, emphasizing how much we as an individual are seen and how we aren’t alone in our regrets. It’s why films like Superbad, Booksmart, Edge of Seventeen, and hell, even Not Another Teen Movie resonate with people on such a personal level. Bottoms is another contender in this genre that could have easily been labeled as a knock-off, but its clear after watching this film it doesn’t want to be the next Superbad, it wants to be the first Bottoms.

Bottoms is a hilarious film that lampoons high school through refreshing, horny, queer eyes and isn’t afraid to be unapologetic while also refraining from being simply one-dimensional. The characters are goofy, gross and flawed in ways that feel authentic to teenagers, due in part to some great writing and endearing performances. Its world is often absurd and fantastical, giving it its own unique identity that makes it feel original and a gay old time.

In Bottoms, two lesbian friends are looking to lose their V-card before graduation, but as two socially ostracized losers, this proves to be easier said than done. Yet the two concoct an off the wall plan to create a women’s fight club in their school, using the guise of self defense to get closer to some of the girls they have crushes on. This lie brings about bloodshed and battles with the school’s football team, with the lives of several teenage dumbasses hanging in the balance.

The film is directed by Emma Seligman, who most know from her breakout film Shiva Baby, which also stars one of Bottom’s leads, Rachel Sennot. Bottoms and Shiva Baby are certainly too different vibes, where Bottoms made me laugh, Shiva Baby made me want to crawl out of my own skin from secondhand embarrassment. While Shiva Baby is way more of a dramedy in my eyes, Bottoms is a full blown comedy that occasionally gets serious. Seligman’s more emotional moments here don’t feel forced in, which is impressive considering how absurd the rest of the film is. She’s able to craft believable moments where the story getting more serious feels like a natural progression rather than just a shoehorned tool to move the plot along. That being said, having seen both of these films, I think Seligman is a bit better at playing it straightforward, yet this is still a hell of a follow up.

Leading the cast is Rachel Sennot, who also co-wrote the film, and Ayo Edebiri, two actors I’ve been enjoying the hell out of for the past few years. Sennot does a tremendous job in the aforementioned Shiva Baby, but has also brought her comedic prowess to the horror genre with last year’s Bodies Bodies Bodies. Edebiri just seems to be everywhere at this point, holding pivotal roles in series like The Bear and Abbott Elementary and feature voice roles in Across the Spider-verse and Mutant Mayhem. Both are great here, managing to bring a bit of depth to characters that could have easily been one-note and cliche, while their comedic timing and delivery remains ever on point. Their characters PJ and Josie aren’t exactly good people, but their charisma and back and forth makes them the kind of lovable losers I can get behind. The supporting cast does a great job fitting into this bizarre world, bringing everything from humanity to insanity. Ruby Cruz’s Hazel is a cute little dork just looking to find friends, while Nicholas Galitzine’s Jeff injects a bit of Ryan Gosling’s Ken into the high school quarterback archetype, creating a hysterical manchild of a character. And if we’re talking hysterical, I’ve got to mention former running back Marshawn Lynch as Mr. G. What a transition from field to film, because Lynch absolutely steals every scene he’s in with what sounded like a ton of improv. I’ve known the guy had talent ever since he appeared on Murderville or hell, even his time in the NFL, but now I’m glad others are keying into him.

Choosing to set the film in a bit of an absurdist, over-the-top world does wonders for the film’s identity, making it fairly unique for the genre. The football team is treated like Greek gods, while classes embrace their pointlessness outside of being obligatory settings for a high school film. And my god, it feels so refreshing to have a high school film that doesn’t involve a heavy use of phones and social media BS. When things get violent, it honestly feels like just another Tuesday in this world. This unserious nature of the world actually refrains from clashing with the more serious character moments, meaning it’s possible to take the conflict seriously even if we don’t take the world the same way. It actually kind of reminded me a bit of 2019’s Greener Grass in that regard, though not as existential. I do kind of wish the film embraced its absurdist nature more. We get a better glimpse of it at the end, but I feel the rest of the film could have been just as off the wall.

 Because the world is so wacky, the conflict itself does feel a bit far-fetched at times.The film’s first couple minutes move so fast to get this plot in motion, while the inciting event feels kind of rushed and not all that believable. We basically get told over an intercom that a girl was attacked by a rival school’s football team and that’s how our main characters build the lie around founding their fight club. Yet this idea of a killer football team is never really felt through most of the film, at least until the very end. It just seemed like another way the film could have gotten more outlandish, because as is, the reason for other girls joining the club just doesn’t seem super buyable. While I do find this film funny, I also found some scenes to be aimless at times. Some scenes get dragged by a bunch of riffing that sometimes hits and sometimes misses. When the jokes don’t land it kind of just renders the scene pointless at the end, but I will say the film is more in the positives than the negatives when it comes to this. Even though this film is in no way catered to my lifestyle or experiences outside of once being a high school loser, I still had a great time with it. It’s an LGBTQ sex comedy that’s unapologetic in its identity while also willing to treat their characters like actual human beings without a heavy reliance on chronically online buzzwords. It’s both genuine and animated in a way that felt fairly effective, easily making it one of the best teen comedies of the past few years and one of the funniest films of 2023.

Rating

Bloody Pineapple

I was not a drinker in high school. Believe it or not I hated drinking. Nothing tasted good to me and it just seemed to turn people into annoying assholes. I didn’t start drinking until college, so I’m a little late to destroying my liver, but this channel has certainly expedited that process. Even though I didn’t partake, I still saw some of the hellish concoctions my peers would whip up at parties, and the Bloody Pineapple is an ode to that. Made with the entirety of your parent’s liquor cabinet and flavored with a fruit that would kill star quarterback Jeff, this drink absolutely packs a powerful, uncoordinated punch.

Ingredients

• 3/4oz white rum
• 3/4oz gin
• 3/4oz vodka
• 3/4oz tequila
• 3oz pineapple juice
• 3/4oz orange liqueur
• 1/2oz lime juice
• 1/2oz lemon juice
• 1/2oz grenadine
• Garnish: Orange slice

Instructions

1. Add ingredients (except the grenadine) to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into tall glass filled with ice.
3. Gently pour grenadine into the drink to create a layered look.
4. Garnish with orange slice.