Bottoms: A Spoiler-Filled Discussion

***As the title would suggest, full spoilers for Bottoms follow***

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3skGuOE3ku0K0NsamtGdsP

This has been a very strong year for the return of the R-rated comedy with movies like No Hard Feelings and Joy Ride making a strong theatrical presence. Each time one of these films comes out, it manages to eclipse its predecessor and Bottoms is no different as it continues this trend and becomes the best R-rated comedy of 2023.

What Worked

The cast is all phenomenal and do a great job in their roles. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri are fantastic in the leads though the real standout is Ruby Cruz as their awkward friend Hazel. She does not have a ton of time on screen but still has to do a lot of the emotional heavy-lifting and handles it so well so the emotional moments tied to her character still land.

The comedic moments have their own absurdity and illogic to them that makes them entertaining all through the movie, including an unexpectedly solid comedic performance by Marshawn Lynch. The fact that the only logic of the movie is a lack thereof really services the plot and allows for some more ridiculous antics to feel somewhat grounded. It allows the movie to feel somewhat like a satire by pushing the boundaries of what high school sports are into the absurd while not making the movie feel weird.

What Didn't Work

This is less a "what didn't work" and more of a "what may not work for every viewer" but this is the best place to put it. The movie operates on its own internal logic (or at times lack thereof) and it takes a little while for the viewer to acclimate themselves to that. Once they understand that the only logic of the movie is that the characters are going to act in the way that is funniest and the adults are not designed to be forces of anything, the movie can be fully enjoyed.

How You Should Watch This Movie

Bottoms is easily the best of this year's crop of R-rated theatrical comedies and by a long shot. It does have the slight barrier to entry where it requires one to learn how to watch the movie as it goes along, however once one understands the internal language of the film, it is really enjoyable. It is definitely worth watching in a theater if one wants to support the theatrical release of original comedies.

★★★★★