Chuck Palahniuk has a lot to answer for. In 1996 his novel Fight Club was released, which David Fincher then brought to the screen three years later. You know the one, with the first rule being about not being able to talk it.

For her second film Canadian director Emma Seligman, takes the premise of fight club and updates it for her outrageously fun teen comedy, where all the rules are to be broken.

It’s back to school for students and BBF’s PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). They’re expecting yet another year of being outcasts, and being treated as if they’re invisible, which will play havoc with their libidos.

Both just so happen to be into girls, so as a way of getting themselves out of trouble, they casually throw out the idea of a female fight club, not expecting anything from it. But to their surprise, the idea has legs, and they find there’s an appetite for such a club with other female students.

Before they know it, they have a group of girls turning up for their club, including two who they keen on, rocking up to the baddest class at Rockbridge Falls High. But neither are prepared for what their little club is capable of.

On the surface, Seligman’s film, which she co-wrote with star Sennott, has the template of your traditional high school teen comedy. It also has the kind of indie cool silliness of a Judd Apatow film, but with a twist. In truth it its premise that sees two gay girls as the underdog protagonists is odd in that it feels refreshingly original, as well as at the same time as if it’s taking way too long to get here. But here it is, and it was most certainly worth the wait.

Anyone who has seen the US TV drama The Bear will already be aware how phenomenal Edebiri, who plays Sydney in the show, is as an actress, and she continues to shine here. She is certainly helped by her on screen relationship with Sennott, who is sensational as PJ, making the kind of impact that Jonah Hill did in this type of film back in the day, especially Superbad, of which this film could be a spiritual all-girl sequel to.

But although the two main characters are gay, it doesn’t make it feel any less a traditional US teen comedy, as they are your usual misfits, who like girls, but are just clumsy around them. It may be a simple swap, but it is genius, and works perfectly.

And although the pair easily steal the show, there are a couple of standout roles from the male of the species, notably with generic jock Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine) and useless teacher Mr. G (Marshawn Lynch) who both help ramp up the ridiculous.

It is one of those perfect storms where the cast just feel right and the script is super sharp and simply funny as shit, making for a hugely entertaining film. It’s been a while since we’ve noticed us literally laughing out loud throughout a film, but Bottoms had us doing just that, right out of the gate.

It may not have lit up the US box office, but if there’s any justice in the world, Bottoms is destined to be a cult classic to rival any high school teen comedy, putting it right up at the top with the best of them.