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One of the things that elevates "My Old Ass" above the traditional run of Hollywood youth movies -- apart from its sparkling cast and sunny cinematography -- is the fresh particularity of its setting. We're in Canada, which is a nice change, in the woodsy lake country north of Toronto. And the kids we meet, while bright and spirited, are solidly anchored in the real world -- they don't behave as if they'd been raised on a diet of traditional Hollywood youth movies.

On the other hand, when we first encounter three of the lead characters, they are in the process of getting gently swacked on mushroom tea. Life is about to change for this trio of young women, and they're celebrating with what could be, who knows, their last camping excursion. One of them, Elliott Labrant (Maisy Stella), is turning 18 and will shortly be leaving for college. "I'm just excited my life is about to start," she tells her pals, Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler). "I can't be a third-generation cranberry farmer." (Cranberry farming doesn't crop up much in movies, but its watery bogs fit in nicely with the splashy, summery vibe of this one.)

Later that night, Elliott wakes up by the dwindling campfire and wonders where her two pals are -- lost in a psychedelic nod somewhere, maybe. She also sees that a strange woman (Aubrey Plaza) is sitting nearby staring at her. What's this, Elliott wonders. "You tell me," the woman says. "You're the one who took a bunch of chemicals."

It turns out that Elliott has been joined by an emissary from the future, the 39-year-old version of herself. This woman -- E2, let's call her -- has come to offer a few observations ("Life will never be the same as it is now") and an important warning: "Avoid anyone named Chad."

Elliott doesn't think that will be a problem -- she's pretty sure she's gay and even has a casual girlfriend named Chelsea (Alexandria Rivera). But then one day, while she happens to be skinny dipping in a secluded forest pond, a Chad (Percy Hynes White) suddenly surfaces -- literally -- and she can't help it, she's hooked. It's weird, though. They appear to have nothing in common ("I hate 'Euphoria,'" Chad says) and while Elliott does find him potentially lovable, she also finds him quite punchable. But after he cutely repairs the outboard on Elliott's boat down at the lake (one of a profusion of sweet little scenes in the movie), resistance becomes futile. E2, whose otherworldly number is filed on Elliott's phone (under the name "My Old Ass"), is appalled: "No more boat rides with Chad!" she snaps.

Elliott is baffled by her future self's hostility toward Chad ("I don't understand why we shouldn't want to be with him," she says). But there is a reason, and as we eventually learn, it's a compelling one.

While Aubrey Plaza is the big name here -- and she's as tartly engaging as ever -- the breakout star, strongly supported by Plaza's generous performance, is Maisy Stella, a Canadian TV veteran (at age 20) who in her first feature radiates complete confidence and subtle glimmers of emotion you can see on her face. Percy Hynes White has an unusual, almost gawky appeal as Chad, and Maria Dizzia is wistfully touching as Elliott's mother, already in quiet mourning for the daughter who'll soon be leaving home.

The movie is carefully but not overbearingly controlled. Canadian writer and director Megan Park smoothly navigates the movie's tricky structure, and cinematographer Kristen Correll's gorgeous exteriors and intimate closeups burnish the look of the film beyond its modest budget. And for actual youths who find their way to this movie, there's a heartening message, too. As one character puts it, "Maybe young and dumb isn't such a bad thing."

To find out more about Kurt Loder and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.

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