My Old Ass

If given the opportunity to talk to your younger self, what advice would you give? I wasn't expecting much from this comedy about a teenager meeting her future self while high on mushrooms. Variations of this premise have been done before, but rarely, if ever, as well. Under the fantastical premise, there's something quite real about growing up and making realizations about yourself, your life, and understanding what you are leaving behind.

We meet Elliott (Maisy Stella) on her way to get fucked up in the woods with her friends (Maddie Ziegler and Kerrice Brooks). While both of the others have bizarre trips, Elliott meets an older version herself (Aubrey Plaza) who offers some words of wisdom to her younger self about enjoying and appreciating her home and family before leaving the farm for college. The elder Elliott also offers a simple word of wisdom to her younger self about avoiding Chad (Percy Hynes White), who coincidentally she meets days later and almost immediately falls for despite her best efforts.

A fun and touching coming of age story with a bit of drug-induced fantasy thrown in, Elliott keeps in touch with her older self over the phone across the decades with questions that she'll mostly have to figure out for herself when her future self refuses to divulge more information.

Although not on-screen together for long, the unusual relationship between our Elliotts gives both Stella and Plaza opportunities to shine. Stella also has great chemistry with Hynes White which necessary to carry the humor of her actively attempting to stay away from someone she's obviously attracted to. Having Chad be the first boy Elliott shows interest in also provides an extra layer to director/screenwriter Megan Park's script as she struggles to redefine herself as something more complex than gay or straight. In a change of pace from what you would expect, it's nice to see her friends being supportive of Elliott and her sexuality not being an issue with her family. The choices here are about Elliott's journey and the only limitations are those she puts on herself, or rather her Old Ass puts on her.

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• Title: My Old Ass
• IMDb: link