-Written by Kyle Bain.
In one of the best films of the year, My Old Ass sees eighteen-year-old Elliott (Maisy Stella), on her birthday, meet her older self (Aubrey Plaza). Suddenly she has new insight into her life, and she’s been given advice that could alter her world forever. What she does with that advice, however, is yet to be seen.
Clearly in possession of a lower budget than most of the other films that find their way into theaters, My Old Ass also possesses a level of passion and emotion that can often be hard to come by. It’s these lower-budget, lesser-known films that manage to tug at the heartstrings the hardest, because those involved in their production are tasked with focusing on the things that matter (that aforementioned emotion) rather than extravagant sets and such. My Old Ass is a perfect example of this, as the intensity that is Elliott’s life sits right on the surface throughout the entirety of the film, and as it comes to a head and eventually spills over in the film’s final act, viewers are very much in tune with the film’s lead and all that she is forced to deal with, now knowing what she does about her future.
I was brought close to tears as the film came to an end, as all of the emotion that is present throughout the course of the film culminates in one, pivotal moment. My Old Ass ends just as brilliantly as it begins, never missing a beat along the way.
My Old Ass takes place on a cranberry farm in Canada, a place full of aesthetic beauty and incredible opportunity in regard to the cinematography. Writer-Director Megan Park and Director of Photography Kristen Correll take advantage of the vibrant, colorful landscape that surrounds our characters. The landscape is a part of them, part of who they were growing up–long before we ever met them. Not only is the film physically appealing, but the use of the setting allows viewers to better understand the characters, past, present, and future.
Park develops a script full of effective and emotional language. She blends different styles of speaking, which allows My Old Ass to appeal to a range of ages, rather than focusing on one group and hoping it’s able to extend itself further.
I think my only issue with My Old Ass is the fact that it’s sort of subtle in addressing the fact that Elliott has now met her older self. It’s my understanding that Elliott does, in fact, meet her older self, and it’s not some drug-induced illusion. With that, however, I’m not sure that Park ever directly states whether or not that’s the case, or if somehow the older Elliott has managed to travel back in time. My Old Ass never directly states what is happening. I sometimes like the open-ended nature of films, but I do wish that I was given a little more information in regard to this aspect of the film.
Park creates a brilliant film in My Old Ass, a film that transcends generations, gender, etc. It’s a beautiful film that hits all the right emotional notes. It expresses bits of emotion throughout, just to have everything peak at the end for a beautiful, yet heartbreaking finale. My Old Ass is what movies should be. It’s an interesting slice of life film in which its protagonist is afforded the opportunity to change her life, to know what the future has in store for her. It’s something that I think we can all get behind, and it’s a spectacular venture into the human mind.
Written & Directed by Megan Park.
Starring Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks, Maria Dizzia, Alain Goulem, Seth Isaac Johnson, Carter Trozzolo, & Alexandria Rivera.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
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