“Bottoms” is a 2023 teen comedy in which two “ugly, untalented gays:” PJ, played by Rachel Sennott; and Josie, played by Ayo Edebiri, have dreams of seducing two cheerleaders at their high school. In exploiting the female school population’s fear of being assaulted by football players, PJ and Josie create a fight club to help girls stand up for themselves — but there’s no way a cheerleader is lesbian, right? PJ and Josie are hopeless.

“Bottoms” is cast perfectly. Rachel Sennott is invincible – check out “Shiva Baby” (2021) and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022). She has this carelessness about her which makes her character accessible and hilarious. Edebiri’s character is down-to-earth and awkward, which contrasted to Sennott’s reckless, and at times self-absorbed, PJ. 

Sennott and Edebiri’s real-life friendship shines through in their acting. The relationship between PJ and Josie is the heart of the movie, grounding the absurd narrative and reminding the viewer of their motivations throughout. 

Marshawn Lynch plays the duo’s teacher fight club advisor. His role acts as the audience’s surrogate at times, reacting to and refracting the girls’ laughable takes on feminism. Lynch’s character is a nice addition, and half of his lines are improvised, which speaks well to his comedic abilities. 

The high school is football-crazed: a ridiculous amount of promotional gear hangs on the school walls and the football players have intimate, codependent relationships. PJ and Josie are working against the grain. They’re outcasts, hence my aggressive descriptor in the first line which is featured in the trailer. 

What stands out most in “Bottoms” is its contemporary humor, pulling from Gen Z colloquialisms, but also lighthearted commentary on feminism. It’s immersive in the weirdness of high school and the arduous navigation of sexuality. 

Through an absurd lens, the fight club represents what young women can be: sexual (rather than sexualized), aggressive and messy. Even their clothing speaks to a gaze which does not cater to men, but to convey comfort, youth and self-expression.

PJ and Josie play traditionally male roles – their sole purpose is to pine after and charm the “hot girls;” in this, they actively deconstruct classic girl archetypes that we see so often in teen dramedies.