Bottoms
Two unpopular queer high-school students start a fight club to have sex before graduation.
Working with a limited budget of $11.3M, the film achieved a modest success with $13.0M in global revenue (+15% profit margin).
5 wins & 24 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Bottoms (2023) exhibits meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Emma Seligman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 31 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
PJ
Josie
Hazel
Isabel
Brittany
Jeff
Mr. G
Main Cast & Characters
PJ
Played by Rachel Sennott
An unpopular lesbian student who co-founds a fight club under false pretenses to get close to her crush Brittany.
Josie
Played by Ayo Edebiri
PJ's best friend and co-conspirator who helps start the fight club to pursue her crush Isabel.
Hazel
Played by Ruby Cruz
An awkward, violent member of the fight club who genuinely believes in female empowerment and becomes increasingly unhinged.
Isabel
Played by Havana Rose Liu
A popular cheerleader dating the quarterback Jeff, who joins the fight club and becomes Josie's love interest.
Brittany
Played by Kaia Gerber
A popular cheerleader and Isabel's best friend who joins the fight club and becomes PJ's love interest.
Jeff
Played by Nicholas Galitzine
The narcissistic quarterback and Isabel's boyfriend who becomes the main antagonist.
Mr. G
Played by Marshawn Lynch
The faculty advisor for the fight club who is dealing with his own marital issues and provides comedic support.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes PJ and Josie are unpopular, gay high school seniors obsessing over cheerleaders Brittany and Isabel in the school parking lot, establishing their outsider status and desperate desire for romance.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when PJ accidentally hits Jeff with her car while trying to impress Brittany. The incident becomes a rumor that PJ and Josie fought Jeff, creating both a crisis (potential expulsion) and an unexpected opportunity.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to PJ and Josie hold the first fight club meeting. Despite their fraudulent intentions, girls actually show up (including Brittany and Isabel), and the club becomes real. They commit to the lie and enter the world of running the fight club., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: PJ and Josie are invited to a party with the popular kids, and both have romantic moments with their crushes. They seem to have achieved their goal - social acceptance and romantic prospects. But their deception and selfish motivations remain unaddressed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 65 minutes (71% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The truth is exposed: PJ and Josie started the club just to sleep with cheerleaders, not for self-defense or female empowerment. The girls feel betrayed and used. PJ and Josie are socially destroyed, losing both their friends and romantic prospects. The club disbands., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Learning that Jeff plans to bomb the school during the big game, PJ and Josie realize they must act. They synthesize their original outsider resourcefulness with the genuine care for others they developed through the club. They decide to save everyone despite being outcasts., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Bottoms's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Bottoms against these established plot points, we can identify how Emma Seligman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Bottoms within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
PJ and Josie are unpopular, gay high school seniors obsessing over cheerleaders Brittany and Isabel in the school parking lot, establishing their outsider status and desperate desire for romance.
Theme
Hazel mentions that women supporting women is important, ironically foreshadowing the film's exploration of female empowerment through unconventional means and the contradiction between stated ideals and selfish motivations.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the high school hierarchy: jocks rule, PJ and Josie are at the bottom. Jeff (star quarterback and Brittany's boyfriend) represents toxic masculinity. The girls' friendship with Hazel is established, along with their complete lack of social capital.
Disruption
PJ accidentally hits Jeff with her car while trying to impress Brittany. The incident becomes a rumor that PJ and Josie fought Jeff, creating both a crisis (potential expulsion) and an unexpected opportunity.
Resistance
PJ and Josie debate how to handle the situation. They realize they can leverage the false rumor to start a "self-defense club" as a cover to get close to the cheerleaders. They recruit Mr. G as their faculty sponsor and plan their strategy.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
PJ and Josie hold the first fight club meeting. Despite their fraudulent intentions, girls actually show up (including Brittany and Isabel), and the club becomes real. They commit to the lie and enter the world of running the fight club.
Mirror World
The fight club dynamic develops as girls begin opening up, sharing trauma, and actually bonding. This represents the thematic counterpoint: what started as a selfish scheme creates genuine female solidarity and empowerment.
Premise
The fight club sequences deliver the premise's promise: outrageous violence, awkward flirtation, genuine bonding, and comedy. PJ gets closer to Brittany, Josie to Isabel. The girls gain confidence and skills. The club becomes genuinely meaningful to its members.
Midpoint
False victory: PJ and Josie are invited to a party with the popular kids, and both have romantic moments with their crushes. They seem to have achieved their goal - social acceptance and romantic prospects. But their deception and selfish motivations remain unaddressed.
Opposition
Jeff and the jocks push back against the fight club's growing influence. Tensions rise as the club members become more empowered. PJ and Josie's lies become harder to maintain. The gap between their selfish intentions and the club's genuine impact widens.
Collapse
The truth is exposed: PJ and Josie started the club just to sleep with cheerleaders, not for self-defense or female empowerment. The girls feel betrayed and used. PJ and Josie are socially destroyed, losing both their friends and romantic prospects. The club disbands.
Crisis
PJ and Josie are isolated and miserable. They process their betrayal of the club members and confront how their selfishness destroyed something genuinely good. They must decide who they want to be: manipulative users or genuine allies.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Learning that Jeff plans to bomb the school during the big game, PJ and Josie realize they must act. They synthesize their original outsider resourcefulness with the genuine care for others they developed through the club. They decide to save everyone despite being outcasts.
Synthesis
The fight club reunites for the final battle. The girls use their training to fight Jeff and his cronies, saving the school. PJ and Josie prove their growth by prioritizing the group over personal gain. The absurdist violence reaches its climax as female solidarity triumphs over toxic masculinity.
Transformation
PJ and Josie have transformed from selfish, manipulative outsiders into genuine leaders who created real change. The final image shows them accepted and empowered, having learned that authentic connection and solidarity matter more than their original shallow goals.