Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self. But when Elliott’s "old ass" starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn't do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what's becoming a transformative summer.
My Old Ass earns its highest mark for Novelty — the magic-mushroom-triggered conversation with one's future self is a genuinely fresh spin on the coming-of-age time-travel conceit, and writer-director Megan Park executes it with a distinctly intimate, warm-summer-light voice that feels singular. The acting is appealing (Maisy Stella impresses) but uneven in supporting roles, keeping it solidly above average rather than exceptional. The plot is charming and emotionally resonant but follows a fairly predictable emotional arc once the premise is established. Cinematography captures the lush lakeside summer beautifully but doesn't push into visually distinctive territory. The ending is emotionally satisfying and true to the film's themes without being surprising or formally daring.