It takes place in the emotional final weeks before Elliot (Maisy Stella) goes off to college. On her 18th birthday, her and two friends decide to take shrooms, where she comes face to face with her 39 year old self (Aubrey Plaza). After a night of back and forth banter of what the future looks like, the next morning Elliot finds her future self's phone number saved under ‘my old ass’ which magically keeps them connected throughout the movie.
It continues to follow Elliot, as she balances the advice from her older self to what her 18 year old mind is telling her to do. She learns important lessons and starts to understand that nothing will be as simple as it is right now, and getting what you want will make you realize it may not have been exactly what you wanted.
Although Elliot looks towards her future self to guide her, she ultimately teaches both versions of herself a lesson - being young and dumb is how you’ll ever be brave enough to do anything.’ The story also teaches us that being older doesn’t mean you have all the answers. Sometimes knowing how hard the world is can distract you from the beauty of being naive and not caring about the outcome, and listening to “your old ass” is just maturing and learning what’s good for you.
The film connects with multiple audiences, exploring different perspectives on a very confusing and exciting time for anyone moving away from home. A mother watching this film will see herself in Elliot's mom, who is dealing with her child moving away, as well as any sibling younger or older who’s gone through a similar experience. As an 18 year old who just started university, I connected with that theme the most. Watching a movie about someone my age going through the same things gave me a sense of comfort.
Megan Park does a great job creating a film that really seems to understand teenagers in this age. I felt like I was watching real people in an unrealistic situation. The actors looked the age they were playing. The conversations between Elliot and her friends flow naturally and aren’t far off from the conversations I’ve had with my friends. To say the least it wasn’t “cringy”, which is hard to say about a film on Gen Z relationships.
It’s also noteworthy to mention that the movie includes a One Less Lonely Girl dance sequence and a Saoirse Ronan shrine!
It discusses the notion that, at 18 years old, your life feels like it’s just beginning. You start realizing who you are and what’s important to you. It raises questions around sexuality, love, and what it means to be young and dumb. And the age-old question of ‘is it better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all?’
Although the movie follows many coming-of-age cliches, it's a unique approach to learning the lessons of time, and it allows those rundown cliches to hold a new meaning. I’m sure everyone wishes they could talk to their past or future selves to gain more perspective on their lives.
The last thing Elliot’s ‘old ass’ tells her may be the most important takeaway from the film – ‘wear your retainer and moisturizer please, thank you’.