It's the stuff of high-concept, coming-of-age comedies from a bygone era: A young woman is astonished to meet her older self at a point when she just happens to need some guidance. Culture clashes and life lessons ensue, as well as a lot of laughter and maybe a few tears.
But what Megan Park has done with "My Old Ass" is so authentic and thoroughly winning that she breathes new life into a familiar genre. This isn't quite a body-swap comedy along the lines of "Freaky Friday," nor is it a time-travel movie like "13 Going on 30." It's sort of both, but also neither. (It's also a trip to watch "My Old Ass" within 24 hours of seeing "The Substance." That's a double feature that'll launch a thousand think-pieces right there.) "My Old Ass" reimagines this retro premise by grounding it in a modern-day reality and populating it with an impeccably chosen cast.
As writer and director, Park follows up her 2021 debut drama "The Fallout" -- about teenage girls struggling in the aftermath of a school shooting -- with an extremely different film. But her keen ear for the way young people talk and sensitivity toward her characters remain firmly intact. Wisely, Park doesn't overexplain the mechanics of how this cross-generational connection works and she doesn't need to; her two lead actresses have such infectious chemistry with each other, it won't even occur to you to ask. You'll just want to spend as much time with them as possible – and the value of time is very much on everyone's minds here.
Maisy Stella is a flat-out star as Elliott, the irreverent 18-year-old at the film's center. "Nashville" viewers may be familiar with the Canadian singer-actress, but this is the performance that will truly put her on the map, the one we'll look back on years from now and see that the seeds of a long career were there all along. Stella has incredible screen presence and a great sense of comic timing, but she's equally convincing playing the more dramatic moments required of her character. It's an exciting feature film debut.
Aubrey Plaza's been a star, but it's always a pleasure to see her play characters that allow her to stretch beyond the strength of her comedy and reveal deeper elements of her talent, as she's done in films like "Emily the Criminal" and "Ingrid Goes West." Here, Plaza plays the 39-year-old version of Elliott – which she rightfully insists is NOT middle-aged – who appears to Elliott during a mushroom trip with her two best friends. Plaza looks nothing like Stella, which is part of the joke, but the two actresses match each other with their sardonic wit. Plaza's deadpan meets Stella's effervescence, and somewhere in that giddy mix, you quickly believe these two are one.
It's the last few weeks of summer before she heads off to college at the University of Toronto, and Elliott is spending an evening in the woods with longtime pals Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler, co-star of Park's "The Fallout"). After sipping a mugful of hallucinogenic tea, she comes face-to-face with her older self, who appears out of nowhere on this starry night. Elliott asks many of the questions you'd ask if you could meet a version of yourself from 20 years in the future, but Older Elliott shrewdly chooses to maintain some of the mystery for her. She does, however, offer this one important warning: Stay away from guys named Chad.
Wouldn't you know it, the cute, sweet summer worker on her family's Ontario cranberry farm happens to be a guy named Chad (Percy Hynes White). Elliott tries to hide from him but finds herself falling for him anyway. This vexes her for several reasons: Besides the urging from her older self to avoid all Chads, Elliott has always thought she was a lesbian, and this new attraction causes her to wonder whether her sexuality is more fluid.
Thankfully, Older Elliott continues to make herself available through phone calls and text messages long after that fateful night, having put her number in her younger self's cell. (They're just as delighted as you'll be to find out this little experiment worked.) But naturally, Elliott must figure out a lot of things on her own as she teeters on the brink of adulthood, including how to appreciate her younger brothers (Seth Isaac Johnson and Carter Trozzolo, both distinctly drawn) and spend more quality time with her mother (Maria Dizzia, always a stealth MVP).
Besides crafting characters who feel like real people, Park also creates a vivid sense of place. Much of "My Old Ass" is set on the scenic lakes near the family farm. Shimmering, golden afternoons on the water give way to thunderstorms thick with portent. (Cinematographer Kristen Correll creates a romantic, wistful mood throughout.) The adventures and the enveloping quiet feel personal and specific, but there's a universality to this crucial point in Elliott's life that gives the film unexpected poignancy.
Park navigates some tricky tonal shifts in the film's third act, blending heartache and hope while weaving in the humor. And the more layers she reveals of her characters, the more interesting they become. This is especially true of Plaza's Older Elliott, who registers powerfully in just a few scenes. Younger Elliott may not have all the answers yet, but at least she's getting more comfortable asking the questions.
