When it comes to lesbian cinema, viewers will often find themselves choosing between two genres — the trials and tribulations of coming out or two-hour-long period pieces. In recent years, films like 2019’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and 2015’s “Carol” have dominated sapphic cinema. When audiences do get to see twenty-first-century queer women on screen, the films are often full of anxiety, with storylines focused on homophobia and coming out, like in the films “Happiest Season” and “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.”
Director Emma Seligman brings some humor and pure entertainment to the modern sapphic cinematic canon with her recent film, “Bottoms.” The film follows Josie (Ayo Edebiri) and her hilariously unlikable best friend, PJ (Rachel Sennott), as they create a fight club in an attempt to hook up with their popular cheerleader crushes (Havana Rose Liu and Kaia Gerber). Josie and especially PJ are something akin to lesbian incels, who will do anything to get laid.
Seligman not only directed but also co-wrote the film with Sennott, who starred in Seligman’s debut film “Shiva Baby.” In fact, Seligman, Sennott and Edebiri all happen to be NYU grads and real-life friends. Sennott and Edebiri’s friendship shines through in their perfect chemistry as on-screen best friends. This chemistry is perhaps one of the best assets of the film — that and its self-aware, over-the-top satire is reminiscent of movies like the 1988 film “Heathers,” bombs included.
Viewers never see the football players out of uniform, high school rivalries lead to actual murder and middle-aged mothers shamelessly pine over — and sleep with — high school star athletes. “Bottoms” approach to high school life is like “Glee” on steroids, in the best possible way. The extreme satire mixed with a surprising amount of actual blood leads to a surreal viewing experience. “Bottoms” exists in a universe entirely of its own.
“Bottoms” approaches sexism and homophobia in a comedic manner, following in the footsteps of the queer cult classic “But I’m A Cheerleader,” which took on conversion therapy through humor and campiness. In “Bottoms,” viewers see Josie and PJ get called “ugly, untalented gays” by their own principal (Wayne Péré), who also says the memorable line “Just stay in your lane until you’re munching beaver at Wesleyan.”
From its tongue-in-cheek name and its frequent mention of liberal arts colleges to its soundtrack done by none other than Charli XCX, “Bottoms” gets young queer culture right on the nose. Seligman knows her audience, and she has produced what is sure to become a sapphic cult classic. It’s the perfect movie to see with your lesbian date or your unrequited high school crush.
“Bottoms”’ one flaw may be that it doesn’t have a whole lot of fully fleshed-out characters, besides Josie, PJ and perhaps their friend Hazel (Ruby Cruz), it still has an amazing cast of comedic characters. Marshawn Lynch appears as Josie and PJ’s hilariously inappropriate club adviser and history teacher; Mr. G. Lynch is an absolute scene-stealer throughout the film. He, along with a perfectly cast set of characters, creates an utterly hilarious viewing experience.
The beauty of “Bottoms” is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It doesn’t try to make a political statement, it doesn’t try to be overtly feminist or take on homophobia, it’s just funny. In fact, Josie and PJ themselves frequently point out that what they’re doing isn’t feminist, it’s an attempt to get laid. The film’s tagline as seen on its posters is “a movie about empowering women (the hot ones).” When describing the film at its premiere, Seligman said “It’s gay, it’s bloody, it’s horny, it’s ridiculous and silly.”
The gay, bloody, horny, silliness that Seligman describes is just what lesbian cinema has been missing. Queer viewers will be delighted to get the chance to enjoy a ridiculous, over-the-top high school comedy. “Bottoms” does not subject its viewers to solemn scenes of bigotry and queer pain, it’s 92 minutes of pure comedy. “Bottoms” is bloody, hilarious and wonderfully queer. It brings back the joyous, queer satire that cinema has been missing.
