High School Movie Watch: Bottoms (2023)

Watched:  01/19/2024

Format:  Prime

Viewing:  First

Director:  Emma Seligman

Selection:  Me

Pal AmyC had rec'd this one broadly to facebook over the summer, and I'd been curious.  And since, I'd heard in drips and drabs that this movie was really funny, but I didn't know anything about it other than "it's a high school comedy, but not like that".  And, honestly, I'm gonna pause you here and say:

go in cold on this one, because if you know anything ahead of time, you're doing yourself a disservice.  Just go check it out

I'll also throw in:  I want to re-watch this almost immediately, because (a) it was really solid, and (b) I know I missed about 1/4th of the jokes because there's weird little visual things all over the place and throw-away lines left and right that are hysterical.  

So, what is it?

I've noted through my old podcast series on high school movies, that the movies about high school that *feel* like high school to me are the ones that exist in some heightened reality that's reflecting back the experience like a funhouse mirror.  I don't really mean, like, wacky high school hang movies, but, say Heathers or Brick.  Movies that soak in the absurdity of being a young person governed by the arbitrary rules and regs of a public school, enforced by of dubious credentials to be in charge of anyone.  And, of course, the absurdities of teen relationships, platonic as well as romantic.

This falls into that category - a movie taking place in a high school where the teachers have no motivation and don't know their subject, and the only real reason school exists is to be a place where football happens (at my high school it felt like those things were band, choir and drill team, but whatevs).  

Two high school senior lesbians - who are not together, but who are best friends - want to spend their senior year getting laid.  But they consider themselves unattractive and untalented, and have nothing to offer.  But as we all do, at least one of them wants to start the school year as a new person on a mission.  To get with hot chicks.

Things get off to a bad start, but through their friend Hazel, who seems distracted at best and maybe not right in the head at worst, a rumor is out they spent the summer in Juvie.  Leaning on their new reputation, the girls decide to start a fight club so they can get to know hot girls.  

You know, the more I try to explain it - and this is the first maybe ten minutes of the movie - the less I think I'll do it any justice.  

Here's what you should know:  this movie has Marshawn Lynch as a history teacher going through a divorce.  The football players *always* wear their uniforms.  Watch the background *constantly*, because shit is happening back there.  Punky Johnson shows up for five minutes and you will wonder why SNL doesn't know what to do with her.  There's one girl in braces who made me laugh every fucking time she opened her mouth.  

The movie was directed by Emma Seligman, who still isn't even thirty and this is her second feature (she's gonna be fine, I'm guessing).  She also co-wrote with star Rachel Sennott, who is hysterical.

This was an inadvertent intro to Ayo Edebiri, who I think just won an Emmy for The Bear.  

I saw Elizabeth Banks was on as a producer and was like "oh, of course".  

Anyway, go watch the movie and get back to me.