--- title: "Bottoms: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bottoms/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/bottoms" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bottoms (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 16 reviews: 13 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like Bottoms a good deal, and the praise clusters in the same place: the pairing of Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, whose chemistry and timing carry the film even for reviewers who have doubts about the rest. Edebiri in particular is singled out again and again, and several reviews also mention Marshawn Lynch’s supporting turn as a scene-stealer. The comedy is described as absurd, cartoonish and gleefully violent, a parody of the high-school sex film that works best when it goes all in. Reservations are consistent too: the jokes can be broad and uneven, the middle and third acts sag, and a few reviews find the film more conventional underneath than its surface suggests, or thinner on character than on gags. The spread is wider than the average implies. The strongest dissent comes from British papers on the film’s autumn release, with Little White Lies calling it muddled and unearned and The Times finding it amateurish and incoherent. ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Rating 4/4. 23 August 2023. The go-for-broke energy makes it an infectious cult comedy with impeccable comic timing from the leads and ensemble, though some jokes are inconsistent and pathos clashes with the tone. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/bottoms-review-emma-seligman-rachel-sennott/) ## IndieWire — Rafael Motamayor Rating A. 12 March 2023. Festival review. The film is hilariously weird and idiosyncratic, a queer teen sex comedy that cements Seligman and Sennott as exciting voices with an absurdist tone and strong action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/bottoms-review-emma-seligman-1234818515/) ## Empire — Sophie Butcher Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 2023. The critic finds Bottoms a hilariously rewarding, ultra-knowing high-school satire that delights in its eccentric, propulsive energy and undercuts tension with jokes. They single out Ayo Edebiri’s standout comedic performance and the fresh, subversive glee in the girls’ fight club violence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bottoms/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 August 2023. The jubilant film is an audacious exercise in kamikaze feminism, testing boundaries of taste around empowerment and misogyny while highlighting strong chemistry between the leads and a memorable ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/bottoms-review-an-exercise-in-kamikaze-feminism.html) ## The AV Club — Drew Gillis Rating B+. 25 August 2023. It is a blisteringly funny, gutsy comedy that prioritizes constant laughs and an exaggerated world over tight character work, succeeding as a raucous high-school sex comedy. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-ayo-edebiri-1850762640) ## Evening Standard — El Hunt Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 November 2023. The critic calls the film a weird, wonderful, deeply warped love letter to the high-school movie and a potential left-field breakout comedy. They single out the craftily hidden background jokes and the cast’s comic chops, especially Marshawn Lynch’s scene-stealing turn. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/bottoms-movie-review-emma-seligman-kaia-gerber-b1118012.html) ## Radio Times — Molly Moss Rating 4/5. The critic praises it as a raucously funny and audacious satire of high-school comedies and their tropes. Strong performances from the leads and gleefully dark jokes make it a teen comedy with a difference. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-xvwsec/bottoms/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/2/2. 3 November 2023. The critic finds the film a disappointing and muddled follow-up that fails to deliver on its comedic or subversive promise. It becomes a conventional romance padded with undercooked jokes and an unearned bloody finale. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bottoms) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2023. The critic finds Bottoms tonally confusing and a bit of a shame, as it tries too hard to refresh the high-school gross-out comedy without quite succeeding. They single out the strong central duo of Sennott and Edebiri and the film’s better smaller, subtler moments. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/bottoms-review-trying-queer-womens-american-pie-2724065) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh 24 August 2023. The critic calls it a fiercely funny teen comedy that reimagines high school as a place for female rage, with Seligman savagely satirizing the genre. Sennott and Edebiri deliver two of the funniest performances of the year in an audacious, joke-filled film. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-24/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-ayo-edebiri-emma-seligman-teen-comedy) ## Screen Daily 17 March 2023. Festival review. The critic finds it somewhat uneven but consistently engaging, taking aim at high-school comedy conventions while offering a twisted look at female empowerment and teen experience. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bottoms-sxsw-review/5180293.article) ## Sight and Sound 7 November 2023. The critic calls it a funny and poignant high-school sex comedy that blends absurdity with commentary on trauma, homophobia and queer desire. It occasionally falters in its middle act but succeeds in delivering rare comic bliss when it works. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bottoms-emma-seligman-delivers-knockout-high-school-sex-comedy) ## The Guardian 2 November 2023. The critic praises the film as a very funny high-school comedy with big laughs and delirious silliness, highlighting the excellent comic presences of leads Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. The plot's violence and incoherence are noted but do not detract from its entertainment value. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/02/bottoms-review-queer-high-school-comedy-from-the-makers-of-shiva-baby) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye 12 March 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film sharply made but not as smart as it should be. It praises the leads' chemistry and performances while noting it lacks depth, vulnerability, and meaningful foundation beyond the jokes. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-ayo-edebiri-1235349250/) ## The New York Times — Elisabeth Vincentelli 24 August 2023. The critic finds the comedy takes off with tires screeching as two high-school outcasts start a fight club to attract cheerleaders. It ultimately fizzes out but confirms Seligman and Sennott as major new forces in American comedy. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/movies/bottoms-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★☆☆☆. 3 November 2023. The critic finds the film a disappointingly ham-fisted and amateurish high-school comedy that jettisons narrative clarity for incoherence. While noting Edebiri as a winning presence, it criticizes the overall execution and lack of understanding of the genre. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/bottoms-film-review-x3h6nf5zx) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 12 March 2023. Festival review. The critic praises the brazenly gonzo high-school comedy as a wild ride that is a satire of victimization, violence, and itself, with a teasing humanity. It is a more confident work than Seligman’s debut and a movie of outrageously forward-looking talent, though it may not be for everyone. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-1235550522/) ## Digital Spy — Mireia Mullor Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2024. The review calls it the best sex comedy of 2023, a ludicrous and queer take on high school tropes that revels in unhinged humor and female rage, channeling classics like Heathers and But I'm a Cheerleader. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a46515399/bottoms-review/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating B+. 24 August 2023. The critic calls Bottoms one of the most absurd and hysterical teen comedies in years and an excellent parody of the high school movie genre. They single out the lead performances by Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/bottoms-movie-review/) ## The Playlist — Jason Bailey Rating B. 12 March 2023. Festival review. The critic notes it's broader and sillier than Shiva Baby, wildly funny and delightfully subversive once on its wavelength, praising the comedy team of Sennott and Edebiri and the supporting cast, though it falters slightly in the third act. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/bottoms-review-emma-seligmans-sophomore-feature-is-no-shiva-baby-but-still-delightfully-subversive-sxsw-20230312/) ## /Film — Erin Brady Rating 7.5/10. 12 March 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it a chaotic sapphic fever dream that captures the weirdness of queerness, praising the ensemble cast and witty script, but notes it can feel predictable. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1225202/bottoms-review-a-chaotic-sapphic-fever-dream-sxsw/) ## The Wrap — Tomris Laffly Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2023. The critic calls it a zippy yet broad follow-up that renews the spirit of raunchy teen humor with an abundantly fresh sense of wackiness, though the writing can feel broad compared to the director's debut. It singles out the insightful scene between the leads for grasping the complexities of female friendships amid the film's celebration of female rage and drive. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-ayo-edebiri/) ## Polygon — Petrana Radulovic Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2023. The critic finds Bottoms a playful satire of raunchy high school sex comedies that excels when it goes full throttle but occasionally falls into the same problematic dynamics it mocks. They single out the over-the-top parody elements and strong chemistry between the leads for praise. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/23852654/bottoms-emma-seligman-queer-high-school-sex-comedy-review/) ## Deadline — Valerie Complex Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film fun and important for allowing women to be raunchy but notes issues with the script's handling of themes and its tendency to just let events happen without deeper exploration. It praises the leads' chemistry and Seligman's fearless direction while acknowledging the director still has room to grow. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/03/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-and-ayo-edebiri-star-in-emma-seligmans-comedy-1235286551/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4 out of 5. 17 March 2023. Festival review. The critic praises the film's subversive, absurd high-concept comedy about queer teens starting a fight club, highlighting its originality and cartoonish glee compared to more realistic teen films. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bottoms-review-rachel-sennott-high-school-fight-club-comedy/) ## Film Stories — Maria Lattila 3 November 2023. The critic describes it as a raucous high-school comedy that is surprisingly conventional but still manages to be funny and enjoyable, praising the cast especially Ayo Edebiri for grounding the film, though it could have pushed its jokes further. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/bottoms-review-a-viciously-funny-if-flawed-comedy/) ## Paste — Aurora Amidon Rating 8.0. 25 August 2023. The critic hails Bottoms as a delightfully ridiculous comedy unafraid of pushing boundaries and delivering bloody gags and bold punchlines. They single out the stellar ensemble cast, particularly the leads' chemistry and Marshawn Lynch's supporting turn, for praise. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sxsw/bottoms-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/bottoms.md