Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy language, humor in queer-female-centered comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Bottoms
What's the Story?
BOTTOMS' PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are going into their senior year feeling like losers, which is par for the course for them. Their classmates don't hate them because they're lesbian -- as PJ says, they hate them because they're "gay, untalented, and ugly." But everything changes when the lifelong best friends hit upon a scheme to get the attention of their respective crushes and bring their school's female student body together at the same time: They establish a fight club. It's a hit, but PJ and Josie's fake stories about brawling in juvie are not. When the whole school discovers the pair's subterfuge, it's going to take a miracle to bring them back together to battle a rival football team.
Is It Any Good?
Ribald and surreal, this film has the distinction of being an entirely new kind of comedy: a raunch-fest centering on queer women. Bottoms' world is informed by 1980s sex comedies: There are improbably large teen gatherings, actors in their late 20s playing high schoolers, and everyone in high school is bizarrely focused on a historical football rivalry. But the film undermines these cliches wildly: The school's football players never take off their uniforms (pads included), and the Big Game conflict at the film's climax is rumored to involve a human sacrifice.
Meanwhile, PJ and Josie are just as gonzo, particularly PJ, with her single-minded focus on getting physical with her crush. Edebiri fleshes Josie out with a bit more emotion (she's the one who gives the big speech that gets everybody together for a big fight, followed by hugs), but both are wacky good fun, and they have great chemistry. Funnily enough, Bottoms is a sex comedy without any actual sex: The only person who goes topless is Nicholas Galitzine's Jeff, and when two characters hook up, the camera coyly pans away as they sink down to the bed, kissing). But with gags that land often enough to keep viewers chortling and a plot and setting full of surprises, Bottoms utterly belies its name. It's a brand-new kind of screwball comedy for the ages, a silly, fizzy kick that's well worth its runtime.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the mature content in Bottoms. Who do you think the movie is aimed at? Is the humor adults-only? What about the level of sexuality/nudity?
Bottoms takes a modern perspective on many cliches found in 1980s teen movies. Which ones did you recognize? What movies does Bottoms seem inspired by?
Why do adult actors often play teens in movies? What do you know about the laws for people under 18 working in entertainment? Does Bottoms pretend like its characters are actual teens? Does the age of the actors playing teens interfere with your enjoyment of the movie?
What about its characters and storyline makes Bottoms different from other teen/raunchy comedies? Why are diverse representations in media important?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 25, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : September 22, 2023
- Cast : Rachel Sennott , Ayo Edebiri , Nicholas Galitzine
- Director : Emma Seligman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Bisexual Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s) , Bisexual Movie Writer(s)
- Studios : Orion Pictures , MGM
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Empathy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : crude sexual content, pervasive language and some violence
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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