'My Old Ass' (2024) is light on Aubrey Plaza, heavy on the fleeting nature of youth

Quick summary:
During an 18th birthday mushroom trip, Elliott (Maisy Stella) meets her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) and receives valuable advice: wear your retainer, be nicer to your family, and avoid a guy named Chad (Percy Hynes White). Does young Elliott listen to her future self? Take one look at Chad's bone structure and you'll know the answer.

Vibe:
Based on the trailer, I thought this movie would be cute but forgettable, like something you watch/enjoy on an airplane and never think about again. I was very wrong and I blame my false assumptions on the low quality bullshit so many streamers put out these days.

"My Old Ass" is the modern coming of age movie I've been longing for, on par with other favorites like "13 Going on 30" (Winick, 2004), "Lady Bird" (Gerwig, 2017), "The Edge of Seventeen" (Fremon Craig, 2016), and "Ghost World" (Zwigoff, 2001). It's the right blend of humor and pathos with a perfectly cast lead (Stella) capable of conveying the wide range of teen emotions that are now a distant memory to this crypt-keeper 💀

Best time to watch:
This is the type of light but not stupid movie I'm always searching for when I want to take a luxurious bath on the weekend. I've recommended it to my mom, Saul, the woman who works at my favorite sandwich shop, and anyone who isn't an absolute grouch with horrible taste. I could see my younger self watching this movie on repeat at every slumber party, delighting in the casual portrayal of bisexuality (or pansexuality?) that is somehow still a rarity in 2024. (As you might have guessed, Reddit lesbians have strong opinions about this and tbh, I mostly find them annoying.)

Worst time to watch:
There is no such thing. I watched it on my period and cried, then spent 15 minutes journaling about the high/low points in my life, so please take caution of this potential side effect.

Where to watch:
"My Old Ass" is in theaters now. My screener was emblazoned with a giant watermark, so I plan to check out the unblemished version on the big screen with a box of Nerds Gummy Clusters (which I'm ordering in bulk for "Halloween"). Eventually, it will be available on Amazon Prime.

Thoughts:
If you trust my judgment, stop reading and go see this movie. It's only 90 minutes, so the stakes are low and I'm confident you're going to like it, especially if you're a millennial who's grappling with the heightened cynicism that comes with age. There are days I wake up angry at my younger self for making questionable decisions that I now have to live with and would change if I could go back in time. Youthful optimism often compels you to do shit like change careers on a whim or spend $60k on art school. Adults try to explain the holes in your logic, but it's pointless. There are certain things a person will never understand without experience, just as there are benefits of youth that experience rips away. "My Old Ass" uses the magic of psilocybin to explore this dichotomy.

I typically hate the way trips are portrayed onscreen. Who wants to watch other people do drugs, even if it's highly stylized? In this movie, the trips are justifiable because a) the first one summons Plaza and b) the second one involves an elaborate sequence set to Justin Bieber's "One Less Lonely Girl." They also kickstart the plot and create a way for writer/director Megan Park to bring in sci-fi elements sans convoluted logistics. This isn't a body swap or time travel movie, but young Elliott is able to call/summon her older self when she's sober later in the film. There's no explanation for why this works, although I prefer chalking it up to the aftereffects of drugs vs. space-time continuum pablum that's rife with inconsistencies.

As a Plaza fan, I was initially bummed that she doesn't have a ton of screen time, but those feelings melted away as soon as I saw Stella recklessly speeding through Lake Muskoka without a care in the world. Young Elliott reminds me of the girl in high school who's friends with everyone (true jerks aside) because she radiates optimism and is genuinely nice in a way that's not phony. While Plaza doesn't go full April Ludgate misanthrope with the adult character, there's a hint of negativity that wasn't present at 18. Despite not looking or sounding alike, I bought into the idea of Stella and Plaza playing the same character in different phases of life, mainly because of the chemistry between them. Their banter is a more witty, less self-deprecating version of what I sound like when I talk out loud to myself.

This is one of those rare movies where I like the supporting cast so much that I found myself wanting more of them. Elliott's friends, Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler), join her for birthday hallucinogens and appear throughout the film, but much less than I expected. Everyone's about to leave for college! Don't they want to spend more time together before things radically change? I guess Elliott is busy trying to heed her older self's request to spend more time with her family on their idyllic cranberry farm.

And of course, Elliott spends a lot of her remaining time at home with Chad. Soon after her drug trip warning, she meets him skinny dipping and learns that he has a summer job with her dad. She's instantly drawn to him and as much as she tries to resist, the pull is too strong. Prior to this attraction, she considered herself a lesbian (without actually saying the word, which I chalk up to Gen Z and their distaste for labels) and the film shows her grappling with this new facet of her sexuality in a healthy way. It doesn't send her for a tailspin or anything, just gives her a new data point to consider.

I won't say what happens with Chad, only that it pleasantly surprised me and brought the film together in a satisfying way. "My Old Ass" doesn't reinvent the wheel with its messaging, but the writing, acting, and execution elevate it to something memorable.

Stray observations:

• Hynes White, who played Xavier Thorpe on S1 of "Wednesday," was dropped from the cast after allegations of sexual assault. I feel obligated to mention this even though I haven't dug deep enough to have an opinion.
• The ecommerce agency I used to work for built the website for Maddie Ziegler's short-lived clothing line, Maddie Style (the clothes were actually really cute). I had completely forgotten about the source of my 2016 panic attacks until she popped up in this movie.
• Spencer (Carter Trozzolo) is my favorite type of quirky little child weirdo. I'd hang out with his Saorsie Ronan-loving, tattoo choker-wearing ass any day. I don't want kids, but I'd take him in if I found him abandoned in a grocery store parking lot a la Punky Brewster.

• Maria Dizzia (Elliott's mom) and Aubrey Plaza reunite in "Agatha All Along." I don't give a shit about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I loved "WandaVision" and will definitely watch this spin-off.
• Writer/director Megan Park started off as an actor. You might know her as Grace Bowman, AKA the daughter who thought she killed her dad because she had sex, from "The Secret Life of an American Teenager." I haven't seen her first film, "The Fallout" (2021), with Jenna Ortega and her former TV step-sister (and noted vagina sunbather), Shailene Woodley.
• I appreciate costume designer Tasha Goldthwait's commitment to Birkenstock Arizonas with socks, oversized flannels, and Carhartt overalls. This movie is basically the "Your LL Bean Boyfriend" Tumblr come to life.

• Another interesting choice this film makes is setting the young storyline in the present day. Old Elliott exists in a future we haven't experienced yet, so she's always making vague comments about the climate crisis.
• Let's discuss Chad in the comments if you've seen the film! I've purposely avoided saying too much about him here for fear of spoilers.