‘My Old Ass’ is Delightful
A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story.
On her eighteenth birthday, Elliott (Maisy Stella) takes some mushrooms and ends up meeting her older self (Aubrey Plaza). Their conversations lead Elliott to make some different decisions that affect the course of her life.
My Old Ass is a delight. This is one of those feel-good coming-of-age stories that has a lot to offer. There are plenty of irreverent moments as Elliott is just living her life and reacting to the world around her. But there are also some tender moments as Elliott makes space to bond with her family rather than pushing them away. There’s also a rom-com element here that fits well within the story and reflects Elliott’s growth as a person.
What stands out most to me about this film is that it balances the humor and heartfelt moments very well. Sometimes, the jumps between scenes and tones can be a bit abrupt, but that’s also what Elliott is feeling and experiencing. We’ve all been teenagers before and can likely remember what those emotional roller coasters were like.
This is one of those rare movies that I think balanced these emotional tones quite well. All of these shifts and changes also make sense because they’re rooted in who this character is and who she’s becoming. The film opens with her laughing and joking with her friends…
