Bottoms (2023)

Emma Seligman directs Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri and Ruby Cruz in this teen comedy where two reject lesbians start an after school fight club to touch the girls they fancy.

First half hour I just wasn’t sure. Bottoms plays at a heightened energy that I couldn’t really sync into. Everyone is up at 11 playing a hardcore stereotype. If you thought Heathers or Clueless operated in their own hyper reality then, boy, do I have a movie for you. Pretty much all that I was connecting with was the retro Nineties fashions. But then I got to pace with it, started looking forward to various members of the deep ensemble returning for their little bits and started laughing. NFL player Marshawn Lynch consistently got me as the laidback teacher and I’m always gonna have time for Rachel Sennott. Here she glams down and does her take on the Jason Lee role in early Kevin Smith movies. The soundtrack is popping, the ending apocalyptic and while I’m not sure Bottoms always coheres as a satire it has cult item written all over it. And I’m there for that.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Shiva Baby (2021)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/

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