My Old Ass - A Heartwarming Film about Self-Discovery

You have to tell me something about the future.

My Old Ass is a 2024 film. 18-year-old Elliott celebrates her birthday on a solitary island. A bizarre mushroom trip teleports her 39-year-old adult self and they talk. Elliott’s future self warns of certain events, leading Elliott to rethink her life, family, and love.

What would you ask if you ever talked with your past or future self? My Old Ass is a creative coming-of-age film that made me reflect on my own life. Its message is clear: keep living in the present and don’t fret about the past or future.

This cannot be Maisy Stella’s first film! Stella is a natural in her performance. As 18-year-old, Elliott, she may remind you of your typical naive and rebellious teen. She is anything but. Stella transforms this role into a compassionate leader for whomever is searching for themselves.

Playing as Elliott’s 39-year-old self, Aubrey Plaza is great. Stella and Plaza conjured realistic mannerisms for their characters, including amusing nicknames. In reports, the two actors goofed around onset and found instant chemistry. All their interactions are studied closely.

Plaza appears in only two physical scenes, yet she bestows multiple nuanced layers of her character. She delivers a strong emotional performance in one scene. We almost could have had two movies, but younger Elliott’s story is just as important. My Old Ass is ultimately a story of growth.

All characters are used to their advantage. Maria Dizzia, Alain Goulam, Seth Isaac Johnson, and Carter Trozzolo play members of Elliott’s family. Though reluctant, Elliott realizes how much she doesn’t know about them. She shares tender moments with each family member. My heart melted when she decided to sleep in her brother’s room one night.

Kerrice Brooks and Maddie Ziegler play Elliott’s best friends. At first, I felt her friends should have had a bigger role in the story, but this film is more about Elliott and her family. They still created a fun friendship dynamic, especially when they got high.

Percy Hynes White (Chad) is an important character. With a crucial revelation from 39-year-old Elliott, I was alert whenever Chad was present. White did a good job with his performance, especially in scenes with Stella.

Although characters and the premise surfaced as typical teen movie cliches, that’s not what My Old Ass is. Director Megan Park has a remarkable ability to take a relative concept and make it into something more.

She kept the set chill, letting her actors find natural beats in their scenes. Similar to the story, Park wrote this film as a message to her younger self. Park also enforces positive LGBTQ representation, making it authentic for audiences.

One scene that felt random is Elliott performing in a pretend concert while in a mushroom state. It’s a fun sequence but didn’t add much to the story.

I only shared the theater with a small audience. The moral of this film is so deep that It made all of us tear up. I have been in a rather busy period of my life and saw this movie at the right time. Be happy with what you have in the present. I am only a decade younger than Plaza’s character, but I agree with her advice.

My Old Ass is a heartfelt and emotional film. It’s one of the best self-discovering films I have seen this year. I am telling you right now - put My Old Ass on your watch list. You don’t want to miss this film. It’s a film all audiences will find relatable.