My Old Ass asks you to think about what you would tell your younger self if you had the chance to. The film from Megan Park coming off their first film The Fallout is a bit lighter in tone but still comes with baggage. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella star as the younger and older versions of Elliot. In the film, we follow as Elliot meets their older self after a mushroom trip and gets some advice that will change their life. I won’t go into specifics because it’s definitely a film worth watching not knowing much.

Although the film is simple in its nature and can come off cliche, the performances really drive it home. A lot of the time we spend is with Maisy Stella who has such a great range. Aubrey Plaza of course is a comedic force, but Maisy is able to keep up just fine. I really enjoyed the moments the two shared even when Plaza was just talking through the phone. The rest of the cast really round each other out but the film definitely casts them to the side. I didn’t really have a problem with this as the story was about Elliot, but at times most of the characters just fell flat.

The story and its concept might feel familiar, but it does try to add some freshness and generational beats that set it apart. I mean there is a Justin Bieber drop that had me smiling ear to ear. There are also has some tender moments that truly get elevated with the camera work and score. It’s a film that had me thinking about my own choices and although its messaging can come off simple, the delivery is what makes it effective.

A lot of the film, however, does brush over many problems and it feels like we don’t get resolutions to them. I think it suffers from trying to do a lot in its runtime, making those situations and characters feel not worthy by the end. My Old Ass is able to wrap itself up by the end and give us a great ending that really encompasses just living your life. However, I do feel a lot of the movie was too on the nose with its messaging, but at the same time, I can see the message being effective and sometimes movies can just be straight up and still be good. I found myself thinking the film was just okay but not really as impactful as I was hoping.

We give My Old Ass a 3.5/5.