My Old Ass – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

My Old Ass

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2024

84%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

An 18th-birthday mushroom trip brings a teen face-to-face with her 39-year-old self in this sharp, surprisingly moving comedy about growing up and staying present.

90%

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My Old Ass

movie

2024

84%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

An 18th-birthday mushroom trip brings a teen face-to-face with her 39-year-old self in this sharp, surprisingly moving comedy about growing up and staying present.

90%

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Screenwise Verdict

My Old Ass is a rare bird: a teen comedy that actually feels like it was written by someone who remembers what being eighteen feels like, rather than a committee of executives. It’s funny, it’s foul-mouthed, and it’ll probably make you want to call your parents.

If you can get past the 'trip' that starts the story, you'll find a movie with a massive heart. It’s less about the drugs and more about the existential panic of realizing your childhood is over. It’s a great pick for parents to watch with their older teens who are about to head off to college.

Age Fit

This is firmly for the 16+ crowd. While 18 is the literal age of the protagonist, mature high schoolers will vibe with the 'last summer at home' energy, provided you're okay with the drug-positive premise.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

At its core, this is a movie about appreciating your family and your hometown before you leave them behind. It's emotionally resonant and values human connection, even if the wrapper is a bit edgy.

Imaginative

The 'future self' trope is usually reserved for sci-fi, but using a mushroom trip as a grounded, low-fi way to have a conversation with your 39-year-old self is clever and fresh.

Safe

The plot is kicked off by a psychedelic trip, and the dialogue is heavy on R-rated language and sexual frankness. It's safe for the intended mature audience, but definitely not for younger kids.

Enriching

It offers a profound perspective on the 'carpe diem' mentality without being cheesy. It forces the viewer to look at their current life through the lens of future regret and nostalgia.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Aubrey Plaza is perfectly cast as the cynical, wiser, 39-year-old version of the protagonist.
It captures that fleeting summer feeling right before life changes forever (college, moving out, etc.).
The movie avoids typical coming-of-age clichés by focusing on the relationship between the two versions of the same person.
It features a genuinely sweet and grounded portrayal of a girl’s relationship with her brothers and mother.

⚠

What to Watch For

The entire premise relies on recreational drug use (magic mushrooms), which is portrayed as a transformative, though slightly chaotic, experience.
There is frequent strong language and very candid discussions about sex that might make a 'co-watch' with a younger teen feel pretty awkward.
One specific plot point involves a romantic warning from the future self that creates a lot of the movie's emotional tension.

Conversation Starters

"If your 39-year-old self showed up today, what's the one thing they'd tell you to stop doing immediately?"
"Why do you think Elliott's 'old ass' was so obsessed with her spending more time with her mom?"
"Does knowing how a relationship might end mean you shouldn't start it in the first place?"
"What parts of our current life together do you think you'll be most nostalgic for in twenty years?"

Stills