Bottoms (2023) is a coming-of-age sex comedy film about two lesbian high schoolers making a fight club to win over their crushes. It was released earlier this month in theatres but the film was digitally released this weekend, so I watched it. But should you skip or stream the movie?
Bottoms is over-the-top horny and bloody. What do you expect from a movie about two girls who are desperate to lose their virginity and accidentally create a club that beats up each other for “self-defence?” I had never seen that much blood in a high school movie that was not a horror movie, although it is cartoonish. The movie has a B-movie feel to it, and it satirizes the genre while still being part of that genre.
The characters in the movie have so much personality to them and are well acted out even though their existence is based on stereotypes. The main characters, PJ and Josie, played by Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, nails as the two virgin “ugly, untalented gays” (that’s what the movie said, not me). Their main goal? Lose their chastity before they go to college. All the side characters in the movie also play their roles and stereotypes very well, especially Jeff, the school football star is a dumb jock who has a cheerleader girlfriend and due to his popularity, could grab any chick he wants to. Nothing new but good.
Perhaps the weakest part of the film was the plot. The synopsis is bizarre but follows the same story formula as every sex comedy movie made in the 2000s. The main characters want to get laid, find a scheme, and get the attention of their crushes, the two leads fight, don’t talk to each other, then make up and face the final conflict together. Doesn’t that sound familiar? And why do all comedy movies have moral lessons to be learned? Don’t get me wrong, I liked the story, but it’s predictable – other than some bizarre action sequences.
But the comedy elevates this movie. The comedic timing is perfect, and the dialogue is so vulgar and stupid that all you can do is cringe and laugh. That’s what a good comedy movie is supposed to do, make people laugh, and Bottoms succeeds in doing so than any other movie released this year.
Most movies fail when they are style over substance, but Bottoms has so much style and humour that it’s one of the best comedy movies this year, maybe in years. My verdict? Stream it as soon as possible.