Rarely are lesbian movies set in the 21st century, and even fewer have happy endings.
Introducing: Bottoms, Emma Seligman’s satirical and heartfelt comedy about two “ugly, untalented gays” trying to get under their crushes, literally. Violent, witty, and unapologetically unhinged, Bottoms is a laughable romance in a sea of melancholy period pieces.
The story begins after a run-in with said crush ex-boyfriend, leaving our main characters Josie (portrayed by Ayo Edebiri) and PJ (portrayed by Rachel Sennot) to start a “self-defense class” to avoid suspension.
However, after a rumor of Josie spending a summer in juvie spreads, the “class” becomes an all-out fight club, conveniently allowing the two to wrestle with their dream women. Accompanied by an original soundtrack scored by Charli XCX, Bottoms is an excitingly optimistic movie about two average lesbians.
It’s safe to say I adored this movie. My movie theater etiquette has never been worse than when I saw Bottoms on the big screen. It had me giggling, booing, and crying all at once. I felt so sorry for the other people in the auditorium with me. To be honest, I was already a fan of Seligman’s, as I also loved her 2020 film, Shiva Baby, which was just as eccentric as her later movie in question. One of Seligman’s strengths is her writing ability, as all her works are written and directed by her, allowing each of her stories to be unique and fully fleshed out.
If you have seen any one of the other pensive lesbian period pieces that have come out in the last few decades, I recommend Bottoms as a refreshing palette cleanser.
Carol, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ammonite, and The World to Come, all come to mind within this somber genre of romance.
I’m not sure why Hollywood has such a fixation on promoting depressing Lesbian movies that are seemingly incapable of taking place in this century, but I feel that with the popularity of Bottoms, that curse may finally be broken. As opposed to the countless Oscar-bait dramas, Bottoms is a refreshingly unserious romance that breaks the melancholy lesbian glass ceiling.
The beauty of Bottoms is that there really is no “point,” but rather just to have fun and be funny. Rated R for “crude sexual content, pervasive language, and some violence,” Bottoms is charming yet awkward and definitely a must-see for any other “ugly, untalented gays” seeking representation.