Kimber Myers
Between its sardonic title, the top billing for deadpan queen Aubrey Plaza, and its snarky trailer, My Old Ass looks like it will offer a cynically comic good time. And while it is quite witty, I did not expect that a movie named My Old Ass would leave me wrecked, wishing a box of tissues wasn’t so far away. This comedy sneaks up on you; it is both a hilarious coming-of-age film with a time-travel twist as well as a moving meditation on the nature of life, love, and identity.
I probably should’ve been clued in by the credit for The Fallout’s Megan Park. That 2021 Jenna Ortega drama deals with the aftermath of a high school shooting with grace toward its young characters, and My Old Ass displays equal empathy for its protagonist. This is an inherently less serious film, but it still treats everyone on screen with compassion and tenderness throughout their struggles.
On her birthday, Elliott (Maisy Stella) isn’t just celebrating turning 18; she’s also excited that she’s about a month away from leaving the quiet of her idyllic childhood home on a remote Canadian lake for college in Toronto. She skips a family party in favor of hanging out with her friends Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler) and Ro (Kerrice Brooks) on a camping trip. The trio takes the meaning of “trip” literally, bringing along and brewing up some magic mushrooms into tea.
While Ruthie and Ro have standard hallucinogenic experiences, Elliott meets the 39-year-old version of herself (Plaza). Older Elliott drops some general wisdom she’s picked up over the years, encourages the teen to spend more time with her family, and warns her to stay away from men named Chad (evergreen advice). So when she meets a summertime worker (Percy Hynes White) on her family’s cranberry farm who shares that name, she wonders if her trip was actually a real encounter with her future self.
My Old Ass doesn’t really care about the mechanics of how 39-year-old Elliott shows up in her younger self’s life (beyond, you know, drugs). It’s not that kind of movie, kid. Instead, it’s more concerned with how Elliott responds to the new knowledge and how she feels about the changes in her life. Meanwhile, the funniest moments in My Old Ass are offhand comments from Older Elliott about how shitty various things have gotten in the future, and it’s glib and grim all at the same time.
As two versions of the same person, Plaza and Stella have a strong rapport, bouncing off each other in the comedic moments and relating well in the more serious scenes. Even though Stella isn’t a perfect physical double for Plaza (which My Old Ass does address), they’re believably both Elliott, just at different times in her life and after she’s experienced so much.
My Old Ass is peppered with endearing details that make it feel real despite its fantastical premise, and gives even its characters qualities that make them feel more authentic, like the obsession of Elliott’s younger brother (Carter Trozzolo) with Saoirse Ronan (I mean, same, dude). It also shows some love for Canadian music, with a perfect Justin Bieber sequence and a Feist needle drop that made my heart explode.
With moments like that, Park also nails the tricky balance of tones; My Old Ass could so easily tip into either too light or too maudlin. Instead, it manages to be both droll and sincere, without either element feeling out of place. It gives plenty of laughs, but it also offers one of the best definitions of love I’ve witnessed on screen. My Old Ass allows its characters to be who they are while simultaneously allowing them to change, even in the short time the movie covers. It’s a lovely, loving little movie that Park, Plaza, and the rest of the cast and crew should be really proud of.
A-
“My Old Ass” is in theaters this weekend.
