Bottom Review: Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri Star in Emma Seligman’s Comedy of Blood, Sweat and Madness – SXSW

Directed by Emma Seligman and written by Seligman and Rachel Sennott, bottoms, is a coming-of-age story about two horny teenage girls who force themselves to have sex with kicks, punches and slaps. The film has a stacked cast that includes Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Ruby Cruz and Miles Fowler. This comic journey of his young protagonist is not without problems, but he is outrageous in his performance and full of memorable moments.

bottoms begins with PJ (Senott) and Josie (Edebiri) having a conversation about girls and sex. As lesbian teenagers, they don’t have the guts to approach their loved ones. It makes sense why their confidence is in the toilet as they are constantly bullied and labeled as “ugly untalented gays”. To be more social, the friends go to the fair and discover Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber), the cheerleaders they want to chase.

When Isabel fights with her jock himbo friend, it leads to a meeting where PJ and Hazel are accused of “abusing” that friend. At school they are threatened with expulsion but to get out they lie to the principal because they start a self-defense fighting club at school to create solidarity between the girls. Rumor has it that the club starts and the school misfits show up, followed by Isabel and Brittany.

This complicates things because the clueless gays told this lie about their juvenile detention center to gain popularity. Instead of telling the truth, things spiral out of control and PJ and Hazel don’t make it. Funnily enough, this lie brings the popular and the outcast girls together to vent their hatred of patriarchy and their love of violence. It all falls apart when they discover that the fantasy they created is not what it promises.

bottoms exist in a world completely separate from reality. Characters commit violent crimes and their actions are not questioned. All men are bad or have some problem that needs treatment and this comes across as some weird feminist fever dream. How on earth do PJ and Josie get along, let alone make new friends? These girls also have the courage to try to conquer moral superiority after lying their way to popularity. Not that the script cares. Senott and Seligman’s script is clumsy and problematic, and each is the target of abuse (with Josie bearing the brunt of it). It succeeds because it provides a solid foundation for ideas to build on. The problem is that the script does little to address the issues it presents. Things just happen that exhaust me after the first hour.

The film is at its strongest as it grapples with the awkwardness of being a queer teenager on the edge of high school while grappling with misogyny, misogyny and homophobia. Instead of dealing with it in a sane way, PJ is an asshole while Josie is a follower, and they both thrive on this delusion they’ve concocted. Being mean to others while being witty and charming is the ultimate teenage experience. Ultimately, they learn humility by sharing their personal stories. Schools need to do more to encourage real connection between their students, but not while bashing each other.

The cast is the glue that holds this film together, anchored by the two phenomenal leads and Seligman’s direction. Edebiri takes a different approach to this work with her baby face, quiet sarcasm and hilarious facial expressions. Her energy is infectious and this coupled with her impeccable comedic timing gives her a unique style that she owns. Sennott isn’t afraid to be the center of attention and isn’t afraid to look dumb while being the center of attention. The actress has the confidence to engage with her whole body. The duo have different performing methods, which is why their chemistry here is so balanced.

Seligman’s storytelling and directing style thrives on unease and fear. She focuses on generating queer content told through the female gaze and makes intelligent directorial choices to complement it. Taking such risks shows maturity and confidence in her art, because there is nothing more exciting than the director who can visualize and execute even the craziest ideas for a wide audience – even if sometimes not politically correct.

bottoms fun, but with a few tweaks it could be an epic exploration of the gray areas of queerness and what it means to be the center of attention as a youngster. It’s certainly an ambitious second outing for the director who still has room for improvement, but is also admired for his fearlessness and inventiveness.