If you haven’t seen Bottoms, the hilarious sex comedy that made its wide release debut last weekend, stop what you’re doing and go buy a movie ticket now. The queer, female-led comedy centers on two unpopular best friends who start a high school fight club to meet girls and hopefully lose their virginity. It’s zany, raunchy and encapsulates the highs and lows of growing up and exploring who you are as a Gen-Z teenager.
After leaving the theater and catching my breath from laughing so hard, I immediately started wracking my brain, wondering what other movies I could watch that would evoke a similar sense of Gen-Z panic and belonging in me. Thankfully, I ended up with an impressive list of Gen-Z humor and angst-ridden, female-led movies that certainly pair well with Bottoms. So, without further ado, here are seven movies to watch after Bottoms that are available to stream from home.
Do Revenge (2022)
Released almost a year ago on Netflix, Do Revenge is a teen black comedy loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. The movie centers on Drea (Camila Mendes), a popular student whose boyfriend leaks an intimate video of her to the entire school, and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a transfer student who was falsely accused of forcibly kissing another girl at summer camp. The two outcast girls decide to team up and seek revenge on their assailants.
Like Bottoms, Do Revenge is full of questionable choices and Gen-Z humor. Both movies also explore the intricacies of teenage female friendship and queer relationships, and they’re both directed and written by impressive women. Ironically though, Do Revenge has less death than Bottoms does.
Booksmart (2019)
When it comes to talking about quintessential Gen-Z coming-of-age movies, Booksmart is often at the top of the list. The movie, which served as Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, follows two straight-A overachievers who discover that their classmates have managed to get into top-tier colleges while also enjoying their high school experience. Realizing the error in their ways, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) decide to cram four years worth of partying into the night before their high school graduation.
Booksmart and Bottoms both share a love for raunchy comedy and foul mouth teenage girls, making it the perfect movie to check out after leaving the theater. They also both explore what it’s like for unpopular girls to suddenly get the attention of the more popular crowd. Additionally, Amy and Molly share much in common with Bottoms’ leads PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Aye Edebiri), as they struggle to understand each other despite being best friends for years.
Rent/Buy Booksmart on Prime Video.
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Despite being one of the earliest Gen-Z coming-of-age movies released, The Edge of Seventeen rarely gets the praise it deserves. Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is already having a hard time navigating adolescence after the death of her beloved father, but it is made worse when her brother (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson). After the two girls argue over the relationship, Nadine ends their friendship and turns to her favorite high school teacher for guidance.
While The Edge of Seventeen is firmly in the coming-of-age genre, whereas Bottoms dives in and out of the genre, the two movies still have a lot of similarities to offer viewers. Aside from the obvious teen girl angst, they both also feature unlikely high school teacher mentors.
Rent/Buy The Edge of Seventeen on Prime Video.
Unpregnant (2020)
Adapted from the book of the same name, Unpregnant follows two estranged best friends as they travel across the country to secure a safe and legal abortion. It all starts when Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) gets caught taking a pregnancy test at school by her former best friend Bailey (Barbie Ferreira). After discovering that Missouri won’t let her get an abortion without parental consent, Veronica asks Bailey if she’ll drive her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she doesn’t need parental permission to terminate her pregnancy.
Though the stakes for the young girls in Unpregnant are tremendously higher than the ones Josie and PJ face in Bottoms, they are comparable. Not only do both movies explore the power of female friendship, but they also have rich subtexts that explore real-world problems girls are facing — like access to abortion and fighting the male patriarchy that runs rampant in high schools. Plus, like most Gen-Z coming-of-age stories, Unpregnant also dives into exploring and understanding one's sexuality.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Popular YouTuber Bo Burnham made his debut as a writer and director with the release of the critically acclaimed coming-of-age movie Eighth Grade. Produced by A24, the movie follows Kayla (Elsie Fisher), a 13-year-old girl who is trying to end her middle school career on a high note after having a disastrous eighth-grade year.
Though the characters in Eight Grade are much younger than those in Bottoms, a lot of the same themes are still relevant. Both movies explore teenage anxiety and uncertainty when it comes to dating. They are also sex-positive movies, with both showing that girls of all ages experience sexual tendencies just like their male counterparts, and that it’s not something that should be shameful.
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
One of the newest and best additions to the Gen-Z coming-of-age genre is the Sandler family-led You’re So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah. Stacy (Sunny Sandler) is on the precipice of adulthood as she and her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) begin planning their epic Bat Mitzvahs. However, the girls’ tight friendship is tested when Lydia begins dating Stacy’s longtime crush, causing her to call off their friendship and un-invite Lydia to her big day.
You’re So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a quintessential pre-teen angsty movie that has the power to become a classic amongst Gen-Z viewers. Though not nearly as raunchy as Bottoms, the movies do speak to Gen-Z audiences in the way they portray womanhood and all its ups and downs as a positive thing instead of a negative thing that shouldn’t be talked about. Both movies also explore the dynamics of popularity and how romantic relationships can jeopardize important platonic relationships.
Stream You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
Though To All The Boys I've Loved Before is largely considered a teen romantic comedy and credited for revitalizing the romantic comedy genre, the movie is also a ripe Gen-Z coming-of-age story that still resonates with viewers even five years after its release. Not only is Lara Jean (Lana Condor) navigating her first fake/real relationship with Peter (Noah Centineo), but she's also growing into her own and learning to navigate the world without her older sister (Janel Parrish) constantly watching out for her.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before is nowhere near as raunchy as Bottoms, but it does offer another side to the Gen-Z romantic experience. One that is built more on anxiety and pressure than on wanting to dive right in like Josie and PJ. Though much like Josie in Bottoms, Lara Jean also goes to great lengths to secure her first romantic relationship, which is why these movies pair well together.
Stream To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix.
Bottoms might be breathing life into the coming-of-age genre as we speak, but these are just a few movies that came before it that have paved the way for an authentic Gen-Z coming-of-age experience. Who knows, maybe in 10 years, teenagers will be looking back at this era of movies the same way we look back at the '80s and '90s coming-of-age movies. If you're looking to return to movie theaters after having fun there this summer, check out our 2023 movie schedule to plan accordingly.
