Bottoms is executed in tonal anarchy with unrestrained gratification. The adolescent comedy, which Emma Seligman co-wrote and directed with Rachel Sennott (who also worked on the screenplay), is vivacious and electrifying and presumably takes place in a violent Looney Tunes universe where anything can happen physically.
This is a radical departure from her debut film, Shiva Baby, a more grounded, uproarious experience that taps into the absurdity and anxiety of a woman meeting her sugar daddy at the same shiva, where she also discovers that he is cheating on his wife and has a baby.
Following the triumph of her directorial debut, Seligman was already planning her next feature film, which would reunite her with Sennott in the roles of main actress and screenwriter. She characterized it as a “campy queer high school comedy in the vein of Wet Hot American Summer, but more for a Gen-Z queer audience”.
Similar to Superbad or American Pie, female-led comedic coming-of-age films that examine coarse or explicit themes are still uncommon. Seligman’s dedication to including LGBTQ+ characters similar to those in her previous film exemplifies how uncommon it is to see queer protagonists in such films. In recent years, popular films such as Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird have demonstrated the importance, relevance, and value of depicting female adolescence within the medium of film. Bottom is a film with the potential to increase the variety of these chaotic and combative female-centric comedies.
Where is Bottoms streaming?
The red band trailer for Bottoms was unveiled on June 6 and stunned audiences with its bawdy humor. Based on the trailer alone, Bottoms appears to be one of the year’s finest comedies. On August 11, 2023, new Bottoms footage depicting our two protagonists being summoned to the principal’s office was released. See it beneath:
Who’s In the Cast of Bottoms?
- Hunter Prestenback as Chambliss
- Havana Rose Liu as Isabel
- Ayo Edebiri as Josie
- Nicholas Galitzine as Jeff
- Kaia Gerber as Brittany
- Marshawn Lynch as Mr. G
- Dagmara Domińczyk as Mrs. Callahan
- Miles Fowler as Tim
- Ruby Cruz as Hazel Callahan
- Wayne Péré as Principal Meyers
- Punkie Johnson
- Alyssa Matthews as Fight Club
- Lacey Dover as Cheerleader
- Summer Joy Campbell as Sylvie
- Krystal Chambers as Fight Club Girl
- Rachel Sennott as PJ
