It’s usually a good sign for a movie when Aubrey Plaza is in the lineup. When that’s the case, though, one usually expects her to have more screentime.
Plaza’s time in “My Old Ass” is rather limited, though, as the main star of this movie is Maisy Stella, who plays the character Elliott. A teenager in rural Canada, Elliott is wrapping up a summer of working on her family’s farm before going to Toronto for college.
Before she takes off, her and her friends decide to experiment with some hallucinogens and in Elliott’s case, her trip allows her to speak with her older self (Plaza). Now with a connection to her future personality, she starts getting advice about her future while also sparking a new relationship in her present.
A sappy teen romance, even with a coat of indie paint, is still a sappy teen romance. That’s the case with “My Old Ass,” a film that has the look and vibe of an independent, film festival release, with an interesting premise to boot, but is pretty standard at its core.
It’s unfortunate because the concept is quite good. Having a chance to learn from your future self on what the right moves are for the future is fascinating, and it could lead to interesting outcomes, both good and bad, for the future. Yet the mystical concept is really only used as a light hook to get the ball rolling.
After her initial meeting with her future self, Elliott takes the advice to spend more time with her family, while at the same time a budding relationship develops between her and a young man working on her family’s farm. It all kind of boils down to a generic tale that’s also sadly predictable.
That isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker with all romance flicks. Often, we as the audience root for the expected couple to get together, knowing it will likely happen. However, there’s a bit of a twist here that’s used as the linchpin to hold the dramatic tension, and it’s fairly easy to figure out what the reveal is going to be.
It doesn’t help that the writing in this film is really rough. Penned by Megan Park, who also directs, “My Old Ass” is packed with Gen Z jargon that often feels unnatural and in authentic, even from its young protagonists. Many attempts at humor also usually come across like Park was trying too hard to force the laughs.
Another detriment is how some of the film doesn’t really make that much sense. Not talking about the connection to the future self, here. That’s obviously some mystical working of the universe that can be passed off. What’s more confusing is why Elliott’s family seems to be so bothered that she’s not staying home with the farm.
She’s set to attend the University of Toronto, a large and prestigious school, yet the movie treats it like she’s shipping off to war and will never return. Having worked in North Dakota, it is safe to say that some kids do leave farm towns, and that’s OK. Not to mention that she also has two brothers who can also take over the farm so it’s not like the family legacy is on the line.
It’s like the whole bit was added to produce some filler around the romance, but it just doesn’t mean much because it doesn’t come across as well thought out. Sure, there are some emotional moments when kids leave the nest, but it feels over-dramatized here.
Another aspect not well executed has to do with how the romance plays out. Early in the film, Elliott is in another relationship that she’s excited about, but we don’t learn much about her partner and it’s basically dropped to the side halfway through the film to make way for the new situation.
The movie didn’t need a complex love triangle at play, but more acknowledgement and emotional moments surrounding moving from one relationship to the next would have likely benefitted this picture. Instead it’s just another underwritten piece to help build up this teen novel-like love story.
Again, this is disappointing because films like this have an opportunity to use its reality-warping premise to not only spark a romance, but explore more of the human condition our perspectives on where life takes us in an elevated way. But when I look at films like this, “The American Society of Magical Negroes” and “Yesterday,” I see movies that squander an interesting idea by simply using fantasy elements to launch a meet-cute.
Acting-wise, the film is alright. Stella is fine in the lead role, being able to express the angst and awkwardness her character has, as well as being able to pull off the emotional moments well enough. It’s criminal, though, how little Plaza actually shows up on screen, though.
“My Old Ass” at first glance, looks like an indie, film festival circuit running movie that goes on a deep character journey. The reality, though, is it’s a by-the-books young adult romance flick and a below average one at that. 2 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 