Bottoms: how to watch, reviews, awards and everything we know about the comedy

Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Bottoms
Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Bottoms (Image credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures)

Get ready for a different kind of fight club. New comedy Bottoms combines the laughs with the punches and does not look to hold back on either in this high school-set, LGBTQ+ story.

A late entry to the indie movies filling out the summer 2023 release schedule, Bottoms has already garnered some big attention thanks to a debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Add to that it features some on-the-rise talent and a fan-favorite former NFL player and there's a good bit to get excited about with this 2023 new movie.

Here is everything that you need to know about Bottoms.

How to watch Bottoms

Bottoms is now available for at-home viewing, including streaming and digital on-demand. For more info, check out our how to watch Bottoms story.

Bottoms plot

Here is the plot for Bottoms, with a script written by Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott:

"In this refreshingly unique comedy, two girls, PJ and Josie, start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. And their bizarre plan works! The fight club gains traction, and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed."

Bottoms cast

Leading the way in the Bottoms cast is the duo of rising stars Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as PJ and Josie, respectively. Sennott broke out with the critically acclaimed indie movie Shiva Baby and has since starred in Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Idol. Edebiri, meanwhile, is one of the stars of The Bear and also was recently seen in the 2023 comedy Theater Camp.

Others in the cast include Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), Kaia Gerber (American Horror Story), Miles Fowler (The Resident), Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue), Ruby Cruz (Willow), Punkie Johnson (Saturday Night Live), Dagmara Domińczyk (Succession) and Marshawn Lynch (80 for Brady).

Bottoms trailer

Watch the trailer for Bottoms directly below. FYI, this is the red band trailer, so it is really teasing why this movie earned an R rating in the US. 

Also check out some advanced clips from Bottoms that are now available online:

Bottoms reviews

Having premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March, reviews for Bottoms have already been shared by many, and the early word is very good. Rotten Tomatoes has the movie scored at a 90% "Certified Fresh," with critics calling it "riotously entertaining," "simply, joyfully, ridonkulous" and "a Heathers for this generation." 

Bottoms Awards

Here are the major awards that Bottoms has been nominated for or won to date:

Critics Choice Awards

  • Best Comedy (nominee)

Film Independent Spirit Awards

  • Best Screenplay — Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott (nominee)
  • Best Breakthrough Performance —Marshawn Lynch (nominee)

What is Bottoms rated?

Bottoms has been given an R rating for "crude sexual content, pervasive language and some violence."

How long it Bottoms?

Bottoms has a runtime of one hour and 32 minutes.

Bottoms director

Bottoms is the second feature movie that Emma Seligman has directed, following the critically acclaimed Shiva Baby, both of which she made with Rachel Sennott. 

At this time, Seligman does not have another directing project lined up.

Bottoms poster

Bottoms (Image credit: Orion Pictures)
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.