The story of Bottoms
Bottoms follows two high school senior girls—PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri)—who've spent their entire high school careers convinced they're invisible. Not just overlooked, but actively destined to remain dateless: they're gay, they're "ugly" (by their own self-deprecating logic), and they're deeply untalented at basically everything. So when New Year's rolls around and they're still staring down the barrel of graduation without a single kiss to show for it, they hatch a plan that's equal parts desperation and genius. They'll start a fight club—ostensibly as a way to build confidence and community, but really as a front to get close to the school's cheerleaders. What unfolds is a gloriously absurd, often hilarious, sometimes bewildering ride through the absurdist lanes of high school comedy.
Director Emma Seligman, returning after her 2020 debut Shiva Baby, takes the well-worn teen-movie template and tears it apart, reassembling it with a distinctly modern, queer sensibility. The film doesn't pretend to be a gritty Fight Club homage—it's far too silly for that—but it also doesn't wink at the audience in the way a lot of contemporary comedies do. Instead, Seligman commits fully to the chaos, letting scenes spiral into genuinely weird territory while keeping the emotional core of two best friends trying to find their place surprisingly grounded.
Behind the making of Bottoms
Seligman co-wrote the screenplay with Rachel Sennott, marking a genuine collaboration between director and star. The chemistry between the two—both in crafting the script and in how it translates to screen—feels earned rather than forced. The cast is a fascinating mix of established names and fresh faces: Ayo Edebiri (known from The Bear), Nicholas Galitzine as the oblivious love interest Jeff, Ruby Cruz in her feature film debut, Havana Rose Liu, and even NFL player Marshawn Lynch in a supporting role. Kaia Gerber, the model and daughter of Cindy Crawford, also appears, bringing a certain meta-textual quality to the film's commentary on beauty standards and social hierarchy.
The film carries an R rating for language and sexual content—a designation that sparked some controversy, given its high school setting, though the sex scenes are presented with the same comedic absurdism as the rest of the film rather than exploitative intent. The runtime clocks in at a brisk 91 minutes, which works in the film's favor; it moves fast enough that even when a joke doesn't land, you're already three scenes ahead. While Bottoms didn't become a massive box office juggernaut, it's found a dedicated audience on streaming platforms and has become the kind of film that Movie OTT users frequently ask about—a cult comedy that rewards rewatching.
What makes Bottoms stand out
What's striking about Bottoms is how deliberately it refuses to play by conventional rules. Most teen comedies—even the good ones—still operate within a framework where there's a "right" way to behave, a hierarchy that makes sense, a punchline you can see coming from three scenes away. Bottoms doesn't care about any of that. The fight club itself is a brilliant conceit because it's so transparently absurd; nobody in the film actually knows how to fight, and the "training" sequences are more performance art than anything resembling actual combat. There's a scene early on where the girls are trying to recruit members and the logic just completely falls apart—and that's the whole point.
The performances from Sennott and Edebiri anchor everything. They're not playing characters trying to be cool or relatable; they're playing two people who are genuinely, unapologetically weird, and that honesty is what makes them likable. Sennott's deadpan delivery and Edebiri's slightly more manic energy complement each other perfectly—you believe they've been best friends since childhood, which is crucial because the entire film depends on that relationship working. Nicholas Galitzine brings a kind of vacant charm to Jeff that could've been one-note in less capable hands, but he manages to make the character sympathetic without ever breaking the absurdist tone. There's a particular moment where Jeff is just... confused about what's happening around him, and the film lets that confusion breathe rather than rushing to explain it away.
I keep coming back to how the film handles its queer themes without making them feel like an afterthought or a political statement. These characters aren't "the lesbian characters in a movie"—they're just two girls trying to navigate the same social minefield as everyone else, except they're doing it while also being attracted to girls, which adds its own layer of complication. The film doesn't pretend this is easy or that there's a neat resolution, but it also doesn't wallow in suffering for its own sake. It's funny. That matters.
Where to stream Bottoms online
Bottoms is currently available to stream on Prime Video, where you can rent or purchase the film. If you're trying to track down where this title (and others like it) are streaming at any given moment, Movie OTT maintains an up-to-date "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page that shows all current platforms. Streaming availability changes regularly, so it's worth checking there before you hunt around—the widget pulls real-time data so you're never stuck wondering if the film's moved to a different service. At 91 minutes, it's a perfect length for a weekend watch, and the kind of film that benefits from being discovered rather than heavily promoted.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Bottoms?
Emma Seligman directed Bottoms, marking her sophomore feature after the 2020 indie hit Shiva Baby. She also co-wrote the screenplay with star Rachel Sennott.
Q: Is Bottoms based on a true story?
No, Bottoms is an original screenplay written by Seligman and Sennott. It's a fictional comedy that reimagines the high school movie through an absurdist, queer lens rather than drawing from real events.
Q: What's the runtime of Bottoms?
Bottoms runs for 91 minutes, making it a tight, fast-paced comedy that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Q: Why is Bottoms rated R?
The film carries an R rating for language and sexual content. The sex scenes are comedic in tone rather than explicit, but they're present enough to warrant the rating.
Q: Where can I watch Bottoms?
Bottoms is currently streaming on Prime Video. Check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page for the most current availability across all platforms.
Final thoughts on Bottoms
If you're tired of teen comedies that play it safe, Bottoms is a genuinely refreshing alternative. It's weird, it's funny, and it commits to its own absurdist logic in a way that feels rare. Not every joke lands—some of the humor is deliberately chaotic in ways that'll make certain viewers roll their eyes—but the film's heart is real, and the performances carry you through the rougher patches. It's the kind of movie that'll make you laugh out loud and also make you think about how high school comedies have historically sidelined queer characters, all without ever feeling preachy about it. Honestly, that's a pretty neat trick.
