Director Emma Seligman broke onto the scene with her 2021 indie, Shiva Baby. The film received rave reviews, making her a filmmaker to watch. It was so well received that audiences clamored to see what she did next. Now in 2023, she is back with her follow-up film Bottoms, reuniting her with her co-writer, actor, and regular collaborator Rachel Sennott (from Shiva Baby). The story follows two unpopular queer high school students (Sennott and Ayo Edbiri) who start a fight club in an attempt to lose their virginity before graduation.
That premise is the perfect setup for a raunchy R-rated comedy. The classic teen raunchy comedy (Superbad, Roadtrip) involved men on a mission to sleep with women. Bottoms takes that concept and modernizes it to today’s social world. It is that key ingredient that could make it the surprise hit of the summer. That is not the only thing that makes Bottoms connect with audiences. A story this audacious needs lead performances that audiences can relate to. Thankfully, this film's lead actors are more than up to the occasion.
The Leads Are Breakout Stars
Ayo Edebri and Rachel Sennott are two massive talents on the rise. Both actors have carved a niche for themselves in feature films and television. With a background in working together on Comedy Central, they already have established chemistry.
Having worked in the industry this long has allowed both actors to work in supporting roles. Roles in shows and movies like Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, The Idol, Theater Camp, and The Bear let both work on their comedic chops. Now in Bottoms, they are able to showcase the skills they have learned over time.
Edebiri is making a name for herself on FX Networks' hit television show The Bear. Her character Sydney Adamu is the wisecracking sidekick to Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy. After Edebiri’s Comedy Central work (along with Sennott), it showed there was more to her than meets the eye.
Bottoms allows her to showcase even more of her impressive range as a performer. Instead of playing the “straight-man” archetype to a funny protagonist, Edebiri gets hilarious comedic moments to shine. A key ingredient to Edebiri’s success is the chemistry she has with her co-star Rachel Sennott.
Sennott is someone who has been working for quite some time in the industry. She is insanely likable and forms immediate connections with her castmates. Her first collaboration with Emma Seligman brought her to people’s attention. Shiva Baby showed that Sennott had a strong yet dry comedic wit.
That film showed she had an insanely likable and snarky presence that audiences could connect with. Her work with Seligman lets both of their raunchy and hilarious voice shine through. That unique “voice” delivers on the R-Rated comedy goods in Bottoms.
Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott Are a Dynamite Team
This team of collaborators can be described as the equivalent of a “hive mind.” Seligman became aware of Sennott at NYU. The two crossed paths in numerous film programs until Sennott was cast in her (Seligman’s thesis) film. In describing Rachel Sennott, Seligman described her as someone she would run into at a family event. This was the birth of that Shiva Baby short film. Seligman and Sennott became a pair who understood each other’s filmmaking idiosyncrasies and could practically finish each other's thoughts.
Bottoms red band trailer teases a raunchy and romantic teen comedy. Those moments are there, but the writing makes it something more. The writing has an endearing quality that makes the character's “quirks” feel oddly relatable. Its character's relatability makes it the perfect counter-programming to the typical “summer blockbuster.” That is not the only trait that could make Bottoms a surprise hit. Another big example of the film’s success is its quick 92-minute running time.
A great R-rated comedy is something that can be quite difficult to accomplish, especially if it's overlong. Those films have a timeliness to the era while not overstaying their welcome. Bottoms has that quality in an entirely original and accessible way, without any narrative padding.
The screenplay takes the real problems of the millennial generation and puts them in a heightened package. That package delivers a story that keeps its heart of solidarity amongst women at the forefront. It is a rare feat that makes Bottoms feel like the perfect counter-programming theaters are in desperate need of.
In a world of superheroes and Sci-Fi spectacles, it's a relief to have a film like this. It has relatable characters who live in the real world. The stakes of the premise are relatively small, but it's something audiences can connect with. Connecting with the characters makes the more heightened moments payoff. The film walks a narrative tightrope that is immensely satisfying as it moves along. That combination of elements could (and should) make Bottoms the surprise hit of Summer 2023.