Direction: Emma Seligman
Country: USA
Although exhibiting a proper tonal consistency and acted with intentness, Emma Seligman’s sophomore feature, Bottoms, fails short of the wit and tension showcased in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby (2020). It’s not that the characters lack empathetic eccentricity, but rather that the director amplifies the imbecility in the last quarter to the point of sacrificing any potential subtlety for depthless.
The story, co-written by Seligman and Rachel Sennott - who also stars - revolves around two unpopular teenage gay girls and best friends: PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). They initiate a feminist self-defense fight club at Rockbridge Falls High School, not necessarily to protect themselves from the giant male football players, but to woo the hot cheerleaders they’ve set their sights on. While the shy Josie is smitten with Isabel (Havana Rose Liu), the outgoing PJ is charmed by Brittany (Kaia Gerber). Amidst unorthodox fight and defense tactics, they learn to share their traumas.
Alternating between crude rebelliousness and soapy tenderness, the film races through the scenes with sharp-tongued cheekiness, a loud-and-brash posture, and pathetic behavior. It’s off-the-wall and carries an energetic vibe that injects dynamism. However, it often feels forced in its subversiveness and becomes quite dull on occasion, seemingly detached from reality as it favors a puerile absurdity. While most of the jokes are satisfying, only a couple truly land as clever jabs.
Bottoms provides gay-themed material aimed at teens with a level of insight that rarely rises above standard parody. It didn’t resonate with me, but at least the cast appears to have had a blast in this feminist celebration of love, youth, and friendship.
