My Old Ass is the surprise of the year. It seamlessly transitions from hilarious comedy to coming-of-age romance to create something unforgettable.
I went into My Old Ass knowing almost nothing about the movie itself. I knew that it got rave reviews out of Sundance and I knew that it stars Aubrey Plaza (who I adore). One might assume by looking at the name of this film that it is a comedy. And you wouldn’t be wrong. But partway through My Old Ass transitions into something so special, so touching, and so gut-wrenching, that makes it the surprise of the year.
On Elliot’s (Maisy Stella) eighteenth birthday she decides to camp out in the woods with some friends and take mushrooms. Her trip involves communicating with her thirty-nine-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). Strangely, they are able to stay in contact through text messages and phone calls after the fact. Sure, that is very weird, but the movie full on admits that they do not know how that is happening, and I suggest just not thinking about it too hard.
The interactions between the Elliots are exactly what I would expect my own interaction with my younger self would be like. The comedy really shines through there, as Aubrey Plaza proves once again what an incredible actress she is. That said, Maisy Stella seems to have come out of nowhere. This girl is a phenomenal actress, and I simply cannot wait to see where she goes from here. Her chemistry with, literally, the entire cast is off the charts. She is an absolute joy to watch, mastering both the soft and hard sides of Elliot’s personality.
There is comedy all throughout My Old Ass, don’t get me wrong, but there comes a time where things get deep. The film was always a coming-of-age story, but when it pulls in the romantic side of the story as well, that is when viewers are sure to get emotional. My friends and I are not ashamed to admit that by the end of this movie we were ugly crying in our seats.
There are powerful messages layered throughout My Old Ass (yes, it feels very weird to type that). Elliot’s older self urges her to appreciate the time that she has with her family and soak up their love. As a parent of two children who are growing up much faster than I could have ever expected them to, this hits home. I want nothing more than for them to remain my babies forever, but that can never happen.
Another question this movie explores is that age-old question – is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Honestly, I cannot say that my opinion going into this movie is the same as it is after watching it. No spoilers here, but My Old Ass has somehow changed my perspective on life, in a way. And I think I am better for it.
My Old Ass starts as a hilarious comedy and evolves into a dramatic tear-jerker that explores questions we all have. It is a brilliant coming-of-age story, with a romantic twist. The whole cast is incredible, but Maisy Stella creates a lead character that is easy to love and root for, as well as relate to. Bring tissues, you are going to need them.
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About My Old Ass
In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). But when Elliott’s “old ass” starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer.
My Old Ass comes to select theaters on September 13th, everywhere September 27.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.