There are just SO many films out there! You see two to three wide releases on a weekend with a handful more in limited release. Throw out at least a dozen more on VOD or streaming and now you have an overload of content. But we only have so many hours in the day, and we must be thoughtful towards what we dedicate that precious free time to. That is the point of this series of articles giving you specific reasons why you should run out to your nearest multiplex, drive to search for that limited release, drop some money in the virtual cinema, or to surf those streaming services. Here on The Wasteland Watchlist, you will find some reasons to check out the latest and greatest of films including…Bottoms (theaters August 25th)
Emma Seligman
Is this a big win following up Shiva Baby for Seligman? Absolutely! This is a crazy mix of homage to 90s high school flicks while delivering some big thoughts on gender and sexuality. The tone of this film is a fine line between bold and absurd. The high school and its students live a heightened reality where everything is just a little bigger and your life just might be on the line daily. This film is not meant to be a realistic environment, but Seligman is able to make it feel impactful as it challenges themes that are quite relatable today. Don’t you love it when a bold swing pays off?
The Cast
What a duo of Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, right? Sennott has blown up a lot since Shiva Baby, but she works so well with her friend Seligman with a script they co-wrote. She is the less kind of the duo, and she must find the error of her ways (which Sennott has a great handle on). Edebiri is so endearing and empathetic. Even when she goes to places, we cannot follow her lies, we feel bad for her and just want her to get the girl. Ruby Cruz is a great supporting addition as the most competent member (and leader) of this fight club. Havana Rose Liu is a good piece in the puzzle as Edebiri’s love interest. On the male side of things, Nicholas Galitzine is a beautiful idiot and antagonist because of a crazy and elaborate committed performance. But Marshawn Lynch is a shockingly great cast member as the masculine and ignorant teacher and club advisor.
The Concept
A teenage fight club for girls? That sounds like a crazy enough concept to work. Seligman and Sennott leverage the classic “want-to-get-laid” trope of so many teenage comedies but add this absurdist twist to the equation. In what could have been a tiring boring trope, the film offers up a fresh and bonkers take that feels new. Add in the fact that this is a lesbian love story on top of it, Bottoms is the right amount of homage with the right dash of new flavor.
The Humor
This is a teenage comedy…so it better be funny, right? There is a great balance of absurdist physical comedy and clever commentary. Basically, each of the teenage male characters are overacting delights and you cannot help but chuckle because of the presence alone. Galitzine sets the tone with his giant man baby character, and it is tons of fun. Edebiri’s general awkwardness delivers some good laughs, and she comes off as quite charming. A couple of the characters have strange fixations which are fun to experience. But it is the over-the-top and unexpected violence that offers up a satisfyingly morbid bit of humor throughout the film.
The Action
Are you ready for the finale of this crazy new comedy? For a film about a teenage girl fight club, you might still be shocked to see just where this film is. The third act of Bottoms is an all-out war (of high school scale). The biggest and most pleasant surprise of the film is that Seligman has a good eye for action. She brings plenty of flair and personality to these bloody good moments. When the fists and feet start flying, you are in for a deliciously bloody treat.
