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It’s June, which means it’s also Pride Month. As always, I like to make sure that I read more LGBTQ+ books and writers during Pride. It’s something I do all the time but it feel doubly important in June. I also wanted to start the month with an LGBTQ+ friendly film review. This film came out last year and I wasn’t sure it was for me. Or, at least, I was worried it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Especially after Booksmart had been so good. Everyone was raving about this but how reliable was that? So, I never ended up watching it. As it’s Pride month, it felt like the right time to give it a go. Surely that many people couldn’t be wrong about it?

I do wonder how long I could or indeed should continue to watch films about teenagers. It’s been an awfully long time since I was one and eventually the frames of reference are going to be alien to me. Until I decide that, I’m bac with another film set in a high school. This time a satirical comedy about two lesbians who start a fight club to sleep with cheerleaders. I’ll be honest, it’s an intriguing premise and I wish high school movies had been so original when I was a teenage. Instead, it was all Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. In Bottoms, PJ and Josie are social outcasts who dream of seducing two of seemingly straight cheerleaders. Unfortunately, the only time anyone of note pays attention to them is to take the piss out of them. They want nothing more than to change their situation but how can they do it?

Thankfully, an unexpected incident involving a footballer’s knee manages to thrust them into the limelight thanks to a few stories about them ending up in juvie. The pair decide to run with this deception and start a female only fight club to help with self-defence. Bizarrely, it works and their social standing starts to improve. However, as you’d expect, the lies start to unravel which means the truth must surely have to come out at some point. What will happen to their friendship and their new reputation when everyone finds out they lied?

Really, the plot doesn’t matter all that much in this film. It’s just a way to bring in more laughs and more violence. Bottoms should become the definition of not taking yourself too seriously. Some of the plot points don’t make much sense but that doesn’t matter. By the time you start to think about it, the film has already moved onto the next thing. It’s fast-paced and relentless with regards to jokes. It’s the kind of film the requires you to be 100% in because it does lack depth and character development. That’s not to say it’s superficial but it also wasn’t aiming for any dramatic realness. If you’re willing to go with the flow, there’s loads to enjoy here. The cast are great at making the eccentricities work and keeping everything together.

This is an entirely silly film that was absolutely incredible to watch. It pokes fun at traditional teen movies while also doing something refreshing and original. I can see why so many people loved it. It’s not a perfect film but it’s an enjoyable one to watch. The film’s final sequence is a comically bloody affair that clearly draws some inspiration from people like Quentin Tarantino. It’s a funny and clever film that could stand up to multiple watches if you’re willing to go with the flow.