Elizabeth Banks, producer of “Pitch Perfect” and “Cocaine Bear,” has brought back the early 2000s raunchy comedy genre with her new movie “Bottoms”, and it didn’t disappoint.
The sex-forward, satirical comedy starring Rachel Sennott (“Bodies, Bodies, Bodies”, “The Idol”) and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”, “Abbott Elementary”) brings all the fun and dark humor back to the big screen.
There’s no other way to describe this movie than utterly insane.
The movie follows PJ and Josie, two unpopular and practically invisible friends trying to get with the girls of their dreams. How do they do that? They create their own fight club to find “solidarity” with the other girls in school.
The plot seems simple, but the movie takes so many shocking turns and, at points, will have you gasping. It packs a punch, literally.
The writing for “Bottoms” is top tier. Many movies today don’t take the risk of dark humor, as it can often be misinterpreted. It’s hard to find that perfect medium in what can, and can’t, be said.
“Bottoms” pushed that boundary and didn’t look back.
Director Emma Seligman and Sennott wrote a script that makes it seem like you’re experiencing deja vu.
It’s a refreshing change from some of the bigger productions we have seen in theaters this year, and it doesn’t miss the mark of stepping outside the box.
Seligman’s direction should be applauded for taking a path less traveled.
It’s fun. Simply fun. The camera can be focused on one character, but all you notice blurred in the background is a child in a cage. Like, what?
The level of extreme satire the film brings is unworldly. It’s a satire of violence, of the high school experience, of the dimwitted jocks. The movie creates a perfect mixture of dark and humorous.
Sennott is slowly making a name for herself in Hollywood. Not only her acting but also her writing were phenomenal in this movie.
Edebiri has made 2023 her year. She stars in the critically acclaimed FX Hulu comedy series “The Bear,” looking to take home her first Primetime Emmy. She has also been in “Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Big Mouth,” “Abbott Elementary” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Her resume for 2023 alone is impressive.
Marshawn Lynch was a big standout in the movie. Lynch plays Mr. G, a history teacher who becomes involved in the fight club, over watching its meetings.
The ex-NFL running back has become a big personality on TV and in the theaters. Lynch has been funny since playing in the NFL, going to the 2015 Super Bowl interview only answering with “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” The same out-of-pocket humor is put on display in “Bottoms,” and he doesn’t feel out of place at all during the movie. He fits right in with the cast.
Knowing the movie wasn’t the biggest production project of the year, I wish it were played in every theater and not just select theaters. Everyone should be able to experience the wild nature of this film in theaters. It will have you wondering, “Did they actually say that?”
We praise Nolan and Spielberg-esque films, but “Bottoms” is such a refreshingly fun movie that we need to see more often. I hope directors and production studios can take direction from this movie. It might not be for the faint of heart, but it was an insanely fun time.
