My Old Ass (15)

Teenager Elliott is poised to leave home and embark on the next chapter of her life. During a mushroom-fuelled trip, she comes face-to-face with her 39-year-old future self, who distills thought-provoking advice. Suddenly, Elliott realises that her proposed path to happiness is littered with obstacles and she will need to reassess her attitude to her family and falling in love,

LondonNet Film Review

My Old Ass (15) Film Review from LondonNet

Nothing bad ever happens on shrooms. So says the 18-year-old protagonist of writer-director Megan Park’s terrific time-bending comedy drama shortly before she sips a heady infusion, the fungi’s psilocybin compound kicks in and she hallucinates a touching fireside encounter with her future self. What earth-shattering, destiny-shifting questions might tumble from gob-smacked lips in such a situation? Park’s generously warm-hearted script opts for a couple of obvious concerns then deviates from expectations, eliciting moving and utterly believable performances from Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza as present and future iterations of the same multi-faceted and flawed soul…

My Old Ass doesn’t tie itself, or us, in narrative knots by seeking an ingenious and vaguely plausible explanation for a temporal anomaly that allows an unremarkable person to cosily cohabit with themself and share information that could cause sizable ripples. About Time and 30 Going On 30 traversed similar territory and Parks casually presents her fanciful conceit then focuses intently on getting to know the characters and their connective emotional tissue rather than bamboozling us with science. She enthusiastically preaches well-thumbed life lessons about cherishing the time we have with those we love, and fully embraces the film’s unabashedly crowd-pleasing flourishes such as a hallucinogenic ode to Justin Bieber that is truly joyful.

Eighteen-year-old Elliott (Stella) has just three weeks left of the summer before she leaves her Canadian lakeside town for university and bids farewell to her family and best friends Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler). She is excited to escape the annual harvest of cranberries on the family farm run by her parents Tom (Alain Goulem) and Kathy (Maria Dizzia), and fleeting rivalries with younger brothers Max (Seth Isaac Johnson) and Spencer (Carter Trozzolo). During an overnight camping expedition with her gal pals, Elliott drinks tea made from magic mushrooms.

Ro dances wildly and howls at the moon, Ruthie snuggles floppy-eared local wildlife and Elliott is stunned by a stranger (Plaza) sitting next to her on a log by the fire. “I’m 39-year-old you… what’s up?!” smiles older Elliott. Once identifies are confirmed, young Elliott winkles titbits out of her future self, including advice about summer worker Chad (Percy Hynes White) that could impact the 18-year-old’s relationship with girlfriend Chelsea (Alexandria Rivera).

Taking its title from older Elliott’s affectionate nickname, My Old Ass surfs a wave of nostalgia for precious moments before the fear of failure or loss stifles the reckless abandon of youth. Plaza makes an indelible impact with surprisingly little screen time – one silent hug is particularly gut-wrenching – but Stella carries the picture and she is fearless during a challenging final stretch of abrupt shifts of tone. Composer Jaco Caraco’s score, with additional music by Tyler Hilton, echoes the dramatic swells. Winning in life isn’t about having all the answers.

– Jo Planter