Bottoms Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.0

Bottoms Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 18, 2025

Emma Seligman's "Bottoms" (2023) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include two audio commentaries; production featurette; deleted scenes; original trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Everyone hates us here, don’t they?

The mostly plotless teen comedy has been around for a long time. For example, in the 1960s, the ‘beach party’ films became very popular while rehashing the same mostly plotless material with the same admirable enthusiasm. The 1970s produced a new crop of teen comedies, again mostly plotless, that mixed up horny cheerleaders and bad but cool gang members. In the 1980s, teen comedies, still mostly plotless, could not stop visiting wild campuses across the country and various fancy resorts. In the 1990s, teen comedies were all over the place, just like MTV’s weekly programming. There were a few hits here and there, like the first American Pie film, but the bulk of the teen comedies that were greenlighted were filler material. In the 2000s, the evolution ended, and the mostly plotless teen comedy was permanently replaced by the vulgar teen film.

Emma Seligman’s Bottoms is a prime example of the vulgar teen film that replaced the mostly plotless teen comedy. Like all films of its kind, it is a mosaic of uneven episodes where various random characters engage in a painful contest to determine who has the dirtiest vocabulary and the lowest IQ. Because this contest is the only catalyst for everything that is supposed to be funny, its progression is always painfully predictable and, of course, equally disappointing.

The two characters that initiate the painful contest are the unattractive and unpopular lesbian high school friends PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). The two set up a Fight Club, loosely modeled after the one from David Fincher’sfilm, where other unpopular and miserable female students are supposed to regain their confidence and begin competing for the spotlight with the stars, who are the cheerleaders, the football players, and a few goodlookers. Shortly after the members of the Fight Club begin gathering and hammering each other up, the stars notice an emerging reset, but the unbridled euphoria that comes with it creates some unexpected ripple effects.

The bulk of the material is supposed to be witty satire that targets attitudes, images, and rationales. However, this material and the remaining material that is supposed to be funny are equally dreadful. Indeed, there is only vulgar, often completely random chatter, easily leaving the impression that the actors are moving through flexible situations where they can say and do anything they want without looking at the screenplay.

Former professional football player Marshawn Lynch steps before Seligman’s camera to play Mr. G, who is supposed to be a teacher at the high school. Lynch is painful to watch, too. There is a sequence in which he enjoys an explicit magazine in his classroom, while the organizers of the Fight Club invite him to become an advisor for its members. Apparently, Lynch improvised all of his lines, and not only in this sequence, but throughout Bottoms. It is very easy to believe that he did.

Bottoms Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bottoms arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The quality of the visuals ranges from very good to excellent. Of course, this is hardly surprising, considering that Bottoms was shot with one of the latest Arri Alexa cameras, which are capable of producing pretty spectacular visuals. There are only a couple of darker sequences where I felt that background information is a bit soft or flat. It is difficult to know whether it is because this information is presented in 1080p, or if a higher resolution might produce a superior presentation because it some of the Arri Alexa cameras capture darker material and light in very particular ways. The density levels of the visuals are outstanding. Image stability is excellent, too. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Bottoms Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I suspect that Bottoms has an all-digital soundtrack, which the 5.1 track flawlessly replicates. On my system, all exchanges were crystal clear, sharp, and very easy to follow. Dynamic intensity is fine. There are a few explosions and interesting mass footage, but you should not expect to be impressed. The original sound design is typical for a contemporary production without serious action footage.

Bottoms Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this audio commentary was recorded by cast members Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, and Kaia Gerber, and is moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat.

• Commentary Two - this audio commentary was recorded by Emma Seligman.

• Deleted Scenes - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Lobotomy (3 min).
  2. Extended Bedroom Scene (3 min).
  3. Tim Confronts PJ and Josie (2 min).
  4. Tim Discovers Lobotomy (1 min).
  5. Tim Manipulates Hazel (2 min).
  6. Pineapple Juice Tackle (3 min).

• Outtakes - presented here are several outtakes. In English, not subtitled (9 min).

• Ride Along: The Making of Bottoms - this program takes a closer look at the production of Bottoms. It features clips from interviews and raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled (29 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a theatrical trailer for Bottoms. In English, not subtitled (3 min).

Bottoms Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Films like Bottoms make it so much easier to appreciate what countless teen comedies did during the '60s, '70s, '80s, and even the '90s, including the sloppiest amongst them. Thankfully, various boutique labels are bringing many of these older teen comedies on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray, and they look gorgeous, so rediscovering or discovering some that have been missing from the market for years can be quite the treat. I could barely finish Bottoms. It was just dreadful. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release offers a good presentation of it with various special features.